Review: If You're Lucky by Yvonne Prinz

Is Georgia’s mind playing tricks on her, or is the entire town walking into the arms of a killer who has everyone but her fooled?

When seventeen-year-old Georgia’s brother drowns while surfing halfway around the world in Australia, she refuses to believe Lucky’s death was just bad luck. Lucky was smart. He wouldn’t have surfed in waters more dangerous than he could handle. Then a stranger named Fin arrives in False Bay, claiming to have been Lucky’s best friend. Soon Fin is working for Lucky’s father, charming Lucky’s mother, dating his girlfriend. Georgia begins to wonder: did Fin murder Lucky in order to take over his whole life?

Determined to clear the fog from her mind in order to uncover the truth about Lucky’s death, Georgia secretly stops taking the medication that keeps away the voices in her head. Georgia is certain she’s getting closer and closer to the truth about Fin, but as she does, her mental state becomes more and more precarious, and no one seems to trust what she’s saying.

As the chilling narrative unfolds, the reader must decide whether Georgia’s descent into madness is causing her to see things that don’t exist–or to see a deadly truth that no one else can.  

Kindle Edition, 288 pages

Expected publication: October 20th 2015 by Algonquin Young Readers 

Genre: Young Adult

Kristine's Thoughts:

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

 

This book has me stumped. I'm stumped over all of the great reviews and ratings because it was not very good. In fact, it was pretty bad. I really had to put some effort into even finishing it. Am I being harsh? Perhaps, but I am not a hard person to please which is apparent with all of my other reviews.

 

My issues had to do with how mental illness was portrayed in this book. It wasn't very believable and I think that some of the information around Schizophrenia did not ring true. I could see what the author was trying to accomplish, making the reader wonder what was real and in Georgia's head, but it fell short. I'm not sure if an attempt was being made to "dumb" it down so that readers understood it better or what.

 

The whole story about Lucky dying and Fin showing up happened too fast. Lucky dies, Fin moves to town and within a blink the grief is over and Fin is taking over. Really?? The whole thing was just so far fetched and unbelievable.

 

Perhaps younger readers will enjoy this better than I did, Maybe readers that aren't familiar with different kinds of mental illnesses. It was just not for me at all.

 

 

 

About the Author

YVONNE PRINZ is the award-winning author of The Vinyl Princess and All You Get Is Me. A Canadian living in the San Francisco Bay Area, she is the cofounder of Amoeba Music, the world's largest independent music store.

 

 

Blog Tour/Excerpt & Giveaway: How Forever Feels by Laura Drewry

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From USA Today bestselling author Laura Drewry comes a warm and witty new Friends First novel—perfect for readers of Jill Shalvis and Susan Mallery. How Forever Feels is a sweet tale about the one that got away . . . and the one that came back.

Maya McKay’s heart is as big as Jack Rhodes’s shoulders are broad. Their chemistry is out of control, but it could never work between them because Jack is more than just best friends with her cheating ex-husband—they’re like brothers. Maya, the sensitive, practical florist, has given up on love and is ready to settle for like. But now that Jack’s around again, he’s stirring up old feelings—and turning Maya’s fantasies into irresistible reality.

Jack blew his chance with Maya years ago when he stepped aside for his best friend, Will, and he’s still kicking himself about it. Maya was promised forever once before, and she got burned. But when Jack realizes that second chances aren’t going to fall out of the sky, he seizes the moment—and the woman he’s always loved—to show her how forever truly feels.

Kindle Edition, 300 pages

Published October 13th 2015 by Loveswept

Series: Friends First #4

Genre: Contemporary Romance

**I received an advanced readers copy from Loveswept via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!**

How Forever Feels is the fourth book in the Friends First series. You do not need to read the first three books to follow along with this one but I strongly recommend it simply because the series is great. Unlike most series where the stories tend to weaken with each book this one remains strong and engaging.

I'm pretty sure I've said it before but I feel that Laura Drewry writes contemporary romance at a level above average. She writes characters that are easy to like and even easier to drool over, I mean love! With a mixture of humour, small town appeal, sexy relationships and unwavering friendships, she really knows how to pull the reader in.

The chemistry between Maya and Jack was dripping off the pages in this book. You could feel the tension with each smile and kiss on the cheek. Of course it can't be as simple as two people liking each other and getting together. That doesn't make for great reading. Drewry throws in Maya's ex husband who just happens to be Jack's best friend just to make it interesting and extremely complicated. I was tearing through the pages to find out how it would end and finished it in less than a day.

For me, I think the thing I like best about this book and entire series in general is the tight relationship between the girlfriend. Don't get me wrong, the sexy men are yummy to read about but the friendships in these books between these women are beautiful. I have really loved reading their journeys together.

Fans of contemporary romance cannot go wrong with this book or any of others in this series.

 

About the Author

 USA Today Bestselling author, Laura Drewry had been scribbling things for years before she decided to seriously sit down and write. After spending eight years in the Canadian north, Laura now lives back home in southwestern British Columbia with her husband, three sons, a turtle named Sheldon, and an extremely energetic German shepherd. She loves old tattered books, good movies, country music, and the New York Yankees.

Connect with Laura

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Giveaway!!

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“From the guy in the gray T-shirt at the end of the bar.” Grinning, Shelley set a white frothy drink, complete with a pineapple wedge and tiny blue parasol, in front of Maya then moved on to her next table.
With scarcely a glance at the piña colada, Maya and all three of her friends immediately craned their necks toward the bar.
“A piña colada?” Regan snorted. “Come on, buddy.”
“I know him,” Ellie muttered. “Why do I know him?”
Jayne just gaped. “He’s huge.”
Being the shortest of the four of them, Maya had to push away from the table and stand up to be able to see around and over everyone in the packed pub.
“Oh my God! Jack?”
“Who’s Jack?” Jayne’s question hung unanswered, because Maya was already dodging and weaving her way around waitresses and other tables.
Ducking under Shelley’s lifted tray, Maya came around the corner of the last table just as the guy sitting there stood up, shoving the chair hard into her hip. She tried to right herself but ended up crashing into the corner of the wall and spiraling off like she was in some kind of pinball game.

Grasping and flailing, and with the floor racing up to meet her, Maya was saved by two big hands that caught her under the arms and righted her.
Jack.
Without a word, Maya thrust her hands straight up over her head, snort-laughed, and gave a dramatic bow as everyone cheered.
“And that’ll be a ten from the Canadian judge,” Jack announced, using his beer bottle as a mic, “for sticking the landing with such grace and style.”
“Thank you, thank you very much.” Another quick bow, then she turned and walked right into Jack’s open arms.
“Hey, Snip.” He laughed quietly, and his huge frame swallowed her up until her feet dangled just below his kneecaps.
“What are you doing here?”
His chest rumbled with a low chuckle. “Someone had to be here to catch your sorry ass, didn’t they?”
Maya pulled back far enough so she could see his face. “Oh, God. Will’s not here with you, is he?”
“Nope—I’m solo.” He set her down slowly, then perched on his stool, bringing them closer to the same level, his hazel eyes wide, his brow lifting slowly. “You look . . . great.”
“Thanks.” She laughed lightly as she leaned her hip against the stool next to him. “But I think we can both agree anything would be an improvement over the last time you saw me.”
“I don’t know about that.” He shrugged. “You looked pretty good then, too.”
Ha! She’d looked like a crazy person and they both knew it, but considering she’d been going through her divorce from Will at the time, she hadn’t really cared.
“So what’s going on? Are you in town to visit Will?”
“Partly.” His grin vanished as he twisted his jaw to the side and blinked down at his beer for a second. “I’m sorry, Snip. I didn’t know about him and Stella, but I swear I could’ve killed him when I finally found out.”
Maya snorted. “Yeah, you and me both.”
“And then . . . jeezus . . . I didn’t know what the hell I was supposed to do. I mean, shit, it’s Will we’re talking about.”
“I know, which is exactly why we’re going to stop talking about him right now and agree to disagree on the fact that he’s a complete asshole and deserves to rot in hell.”
It was a feeble joke at best, so she couldn’t really blame him for not smiling back at her.
“Oh come on, Jack, it’s done, it’s over. Dickhead . . . sorry . . . Will . . . has moved on and so have I.”
“Have you? Moved on I mean.” Finally a smile, hesitant as it was. “Should I be watching out for some big hulking dude who’s going to kick my ass for buying you that drink?”
“Yeah, right.” Jack was six three, with the shoulders of a linebacker and arms the size of tree trunks, so there weren’t many guys who had what it took to kick his ass. “No hulking anyone, just my girls over there and they’re pretty friendly.”
His gaze flicked past her briefly. “I don’t know, that one in the green sweater looks like she could take me.”
Without turning, Maya laughed. “Ellie. And you might be right on that one. Are they still staring?”
“Oh yeah.” Jack’s eyes crinkled at the corners. “I don’t think any one of them’s moved since you shoved them all out of the way and leapt over the table.”
“I didn’t leap!” Heat raced up Maya’s neck and across her cheeks until she finally had to laugh and look down at the floor for a second. “Okay, I might have leapt a little, but I haven’t seen you in . . . what . . . two years, so a little leaping wasn’t completely uncalled for.”
“Yeah, it’s been a while, hasn’t it?” His gaze never wavered as he took a slow sip of his beer. “How are you doing? For real, no B.S.”

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Review: A Master Plan For Rescue by Janis Cooke Newman

Set in 1942 New York and Berlin, A Master Plan for Rescue is an enchanting novel about the life-giving powers of storytelling, and the heroism that can be inspired by love. In essence, it is two love stories. It is the story of a child who worships his parents, then loses his father to an accident and his mother to her resulting grief. And it is the story of a young man who stumbles into the romance of his life, then watches her decline, forever changing the arc of his future. Each is propelled by the belief that if he acts heroically enough, it will restore some part of what -- or whom -- he has lost.

But when they meet, this boy and this man, their combined grief and magical thinking will allow them to dream the impossible. Sharing stories of the people they have lost, they are inspired to join forces and act in their memory. To do something so memorable that it might actually bring their loved ones back -– even if only in spirit.

A Master Plan for Rescue is a beautiful tale, propelled by history and imagination, that suggests people's impact upon the world doesn't necessarily end with their lives, and that, to some degree, we are the sum of the stories we tell.

Hardcover, 336 pages

Published July 14th 2015 by Riverhead Books

 

Terri's Thoughts

I won a copy of this book in a giveaway on Goodreads.  In return I will provide my honest opinion.

Those who know me know that I love any story that surrounds wartime.  In my world, this type of story is what I mainly handed out my elusive 5 stars ratings to.  Sadly, this will not be one of those stories.  I just didn't feel it like I expected to.

Maybe I was in the wrong frame of mind as I see that many have had glowing reviews of this story.  I just simply found it too busy.  Its a story about a child who loses his father, then it is about his uncle, then it is about Jakob.  Every bit character also had a backstory.  I felt it was simply too much packed in to a 336 page novel.  I felt that if it was just the child and Jakob then there would have been more opportunity to feel the emotion.

I was much more invested in Jakob's story over all of the stories.  This makes sense because I am a sucker for a sad story during wartime.  This was when I really got lost in the story.  So much so that I was not too happy when it switched back.

This is going to be one of those books that I think most people will enjoy.  I think I will probably be in the minority for thinking it was just ok.  I do believe this is a case that you have to read it and judge for yourself.  For me it was just too busy for my liking however still a decent read.

 

About the Author

 

anis Cooke Newman is the author of A Master Plan for Rescue , a magical novel about the surprising acts of heroism that can be inspired by love. She is also the author of Mary , a historical novel about Mary Todd Lincoln. Mary was chosen by USA Today as the best historical fiction of 2006 and was a finalist for the LA Times First Fiction award. She is also the author of The Russian Word for Snow, a memoir about adopting her son from a Moscow orphanage. Both books are available in paperback. Newman is the founder of the Lit Camp writers conference.

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Review: Pretending to Dance by Diane Chamberlain

Molly Arnette is very good at keeping secrets. She lives in San Diego with a husband she adores, and they are trying to adopt a baby because they can't have a child on their own. But the process of adoption brings to light many questions about Molly's past and her family—the family she left behind in North Carolina twenty years before. The mother she says is dead but who is very much alive. The father she adored and whose death sent her running from the small community of Morrison's Ridge. Her own birth mother whose mysterious presence in her family raised so many issues that came to a head. The summer of twenty years ago changed everything for Molly and as the past weaves together with the present story, Molly discovers that she learned to lie in the very family that taught her about pretending. If she learns the truth about her beloved father's death, can she find peace in the present to claim the life she really wants?

Kindle Edition, 352 pages

Published October 6th 2015 by St. Martin's Press
Genre: Adult Fiction

Kristine's Thoughts:

It's no secret that I am a huge fan of Diane Chamberlain, and this book is just one of many examples why. I always worry a little when I pick up a book by a favourite author that the stories will get old or repetitive. This is not the case with this author. She manages to come up with unique and thought provoking story lines each and every time.

Chamberlain is a master at creating such vivid settings that you feel like you are there. I could clearly picture Morrison's Ridge, the loop road and everything else. I could feel every root and stone on the mountain paths. It was as if I was walking beside Molly every step of the way.

The story weaves between Molly's past and present and in each scenario she is dealing with serious and important issues. As an adult she is struggling with the challenges of adoption because she can't have children of her own. In the past we see Molly as a fourteen year old girl who is dealing with the challenges of growing up as well as a father, whom she adores, who is living with a debilitating disease. The story weaves flawlessly between these two stories in order to tell the even bigger story. I should add that this is a style that Chamberlain has perfected and also a style that I adore.

This story deals with a very relevant and thought provoking topic. I don't want to go into detail because there is so much that I don't want to give away. I was able to see where the story was heading but it didn't impact my enjoyment in the least. It is a story that will definitely make you think and even make you cry.

As always I loved every minute of this book. Diane Chamberlain disappoints and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

About the Author

Diane Chamberlain is the USA Today and Sunday Times bestselling author of 24 novels published in more than twenty languages. Some of her most popular books include Necessary Lies, The Silent Sister, The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes, and The Keeper of the Light Trilogy. Diane likes to write complex stories about relationships between men and women, parents and children, brothers and sisters, and friends. Although the thematic focus of her books often revolves around family, love, compassion and forgiveness, her stories usually feature a combination of drama, mystery, secrets and intrigue. Diane’s background in psychology has given her a keen interest in understanding the way people tick, as well as the background necessary to create her realistic characters.

Diane was born and raised in Plainfield, New Jersey and spent her summers at the Jersey Shore. She also lived for many years in San Diego and northern Virginia before making North Carolina her home.

Diane received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in clinical social work from San Diego State University. Prior to her writing career, Diane worked in hospitals in San Diego and Washington, D.C. before opening a private psychotherapy practice in Alexandria Virginia specializing in adolescents. All the while Diane was writing on the side. Her first book, Private Relations was published in 1989 and it earned the RITA award for Best Single Title Contemporary Novel.

Diane lives with her partner, photographer John Pagliuca, and her sheltie, Cole. She has three stepdaughters, two sons-in-law, and four grandchildren. She’s currently at work on her next novel.

Connect with Diane

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Review: All the Stars in the Heavens by Adriana Trigiani

Adriana Trigiani, the New York Times bestselling author of the blockbuster epic The Shoemaker’s Wife, returns with her biggest and boldest novel yet—a hypnotic tale, based on a true story—that dazzles with the signature elements of her previous work—family ties, artistry, romance, adventure—and introduces an unforgettable new heroine: Loretta Young, an ambitious starlet struggling to survive in Hollywood’s dream factory

In this spectacular saga as radiant, thrilling, and beguiling as Hollywood itself, Adriana Trigiani takes us back to Tinsel Town’s golden age—an era as brutal as it was resplendent—and into the complex and glamorous world of a young actress hungry for fame and success. With meticulous, beautiful detail, Trigiani paints a rich, historical landscape of 1930s Los Angeles, where European and American artisans flocked to pursue the ultimate dream: to tell stories on the silver screen.

The movie business is booming in 1935 when twenty-one-year-old Loretta Young meets thirty-four-year-old Clark Gable on the set of The Call of the Wild. Though he’s already married, Gable falls for the stunning and vivacious young actress instantly.

Far from the glittering lights of Hollywood, Sister Alda Ducci has been forced to leave her convent and begin a new journey that leads her to Loretta. Becoming Miss Young’s assistant, the innocent and pious young Alda must navigate the wild terrain of Hollywood with fierce determination and a moral code that derives from her Italian roots. Over the course of decades, she and Loretta encounter scandal and adventure, choose love and passion, and forge an enduring bond of love and loyalty that will be put to the test when they eventually face the greatest obstacle of their lives.

Anchored by Trigiani’s masterful storytelling that takes you on a worldwide ride of adventure from Hollywood to the shores of southern Italy, this mesmerizing epic is, at its heart, a luminous tale of the most cherished ties that bind. Brimming with larger-than-life characters both real and fictional—including stars Spencer Tracy, Myrna Loy, David Niven, Hattie McDaniel and more—it is it is the unforgettable story of one of cinema’s greatest love affairs during the golden age of American movie making.

Hardcover, 464 pages

Expected publication: October 13th 2015 by Harper

 

Terri's Thoughts

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.  The expected publication date is October 13th, 2015.

I have to admit that this story took me a long time to read.  This is because I kept stopping to google the characters in the story.  I have to be honest, the only one I had ever heard of was Clark Gable and that was only from one movie that to this day I don't believe I have ever seen from beginning to end in one sitting.  One downfall of google is that I also knew how the story was going to play out.

This story was fascinating in how it depicted the era that was 1930's Hollywood.  From all the leading men and woman, the glamorous lifestyles, and the double standards and hypocrisy that was the movies and its players.  The stars of this era seem to stand alone as legends compared to the stars of today, perhaps because they are so much more accessible today than back then.

I really liked Loretta's spunk and how she cared for those in her life.  I did not like how she fell for her leading men as none of them seemed right for her.  In fact based on this story none of her choices were good.  Although they did have some chemistry, I also didn't really feel Loretta and Clark together.  I don't know why, perhaps his womanizing ways, the fact that he was married, or the fact that he just reads slime ball to me.  As a side note, did the woman back in the day really swoon for him?  I have seen a ton of photo's and he simply does not look like the attractive guy described and also looks like he could use a good shower in all of them.  I am glad I have grown up on much better eye candy in show business!

That aside, this story was rather tragic.  Although there is obviously artistic liberty taken with the storyline, it does outline the storyline of Loretta Young.  The details of the story may have been different in real life but the outcome is the same.  I enjoyed my time researching all of these characters just as much as reading the story.

One last thought.  To address the elephant in the room as I have seen some mention in some other reviews.  Some information has come to light that the romance between these two was perhaps not what it was depicted and that it was something a lot more dark with unpleasant consequences.  This has dampened somes opinion of this story.  As there is nobody alive to validate the facts I recommend to treat this story as it is meant to be...a work of fiction.  This story could be just as entertaining if the characters had made up names.

I enjoyed this one!

 

 

About the Author

 

Adriana Trigiani is beloved by millions of readers around the world for fifteen bestsellers, including the blockbuster epic The Shoemaker's Wife; the Big Stone Gap series; Lucia, Lucia; the Valentine series; the Viola series for young adults; and the bestselling memoir Don't Sing at the Table. Trigiani reaches new heights with All the Stars in the Heavens, an epic tale from the golden age of Hollywood. She is the award-winning filmmaker of the documentary Queens of the Big Time. Trigiani wrote and directed the major motion picture Big Stone Gap, based on her debut novel and filmed entirely on location in her Virginia hometown, and released nationwide in the fall of 2015. She lives in Greenwich Village with her family.

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Review: Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt

Jack, 12, tells the gripping story of Joseph, 14, who joins his family as a foster child. Damaged in prison, Joseph wants nothing more than to find his baby daughter, Jupiter, whom he has never seen. When Joseph has begun to believe he’ll have a future, he is confronted by demons from his past that force a tragic sacrifice.

Kindle Edition, 160 pages

Published October 6th 2015 by Clarion Books 

Genre: Young Adult/Middle Grade

Kristine's Thoughts:

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

This book needs to come with a warning label...seriously! It made me ugly cry. I did not expect a middle grade/young adult book that is narrated by a twelve year old and only 160 pages long to make me cry. Boy did I cry!

The story itself is simple in its writing but the content is anything but. In fact, the content is very emotional and serious. The story is told through 12 yr old Jack's eyes when Joseph comes to live with him and his parents as a Foster Child. Due to many circumstances, Joseph is alone and struggling. He is only a child himself at 14 but finds himself a parent of a baby that he has never seen. As the reader we see his struggles as interpreted through the eyes of Jack. There is an innocence and vulnerability in the story when told through his eyes. I thought it was very well done.

The story is short so it moves along quickly but at the same time there is plenty of character and story development. It didn't take me long to become invested in Joseph and Jack and to route for them along the way. It is a story of growth and friendship as well as "having someones back" as it is the story of Joseph's past. Both aspects of the story I think I liked equally which is rarely the case for me.

I'm still struggling to decide how I feel about how it ends but the fact that I was emotional means that I was obviously enjoying the story. It made me feel something which is always a good thing when it comes to books. If I wasn't enjoying the story I wouldn't have felt anything.

In the interest of honesty I have to admit that this book really surprised me. I did not expect to enjoy it to the extent that I did. Readers of all ages will be sure to enjoy it!

About the Author

Gary D. Schmidt is an American children's writer of nonfiction books and young adult novels, including two Newbery Honor books. He lives on a farm in Alto, Michigan,with his wife and six children, where he splits wood, plants gardens, writes, feeds the wild cats that drop by and wishes that sometimes the sea breeze came that far inland. He is a Professor of English at Calvin College.

Connect with Gary

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Review: Just Want Somebody To Love by Keri Ford

His business is her pleasure…

Swept off her feet by a charming restaurateur, Whitney Chester envisions a delicious happily ever after—until her prince turns into a total toad. There’s no way she’ll agree to another date with Justin Rawlings, despite their unforgettable night together. But when Justin insists on helping out on her family-run farm in exchange for another chance, it’s an offer Whitney can’t refuse… if only to get revenge on her sweet-talking suitor.

Justin needs a girlfriend to prove to his business partner that he isn’t all work and no play. Romancing Whitney should have been pure pleasure, if a work conflict hadn’t caused him to stand her up. Now he’s determined to win her back—and win his partner’s approval of their restaurant expansion. Keeping Whitney by his side until the deal closes should be easy—if he doesn’t do something foolish. Like fall in love with the small town beauty…

ebook, 200 pages

Expected publication: October 13th 2015 by Lyrical Shine

Terri's Thoughts

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in return for an honest review.  The expected publication date is October 13th 2015

This story starts off fast with a hot and heavy attraction and "hook up" and is then followed by the real story.  A little bit like real life right?  You make an impulsive decision and then you have to live with the consequences.

As the synopsis suggests, Justin isn't purely on the up and up when it comes to his relationship with Whitney.  This made it a little difficult to warm up to him.  I am not sure I really did by the end.  It was clear that his chemistry with Whitney was off the charts.

I like reading about small towns and small town life.  It remind me of my childhood and teenage years and I think that is part of the appeal for these types of stories.  People who have been friends forever and everyone want's to know your business.  You get a little nostalgic for things like that when you are no longer in that environment.

Overall an entertaining short read!

About the Author

Keri Ford brings sexy contemporary romance to the American South. With a sprinkling of men in suits and women in high heels, you’ll most likely find four-wheeler riding, ball cap wearing fellas trying to sweet-talk sundress wearing ladies in Keri’s books. Raised in the country in South Arkansas, Keri shares this flavor of life in her books. Glass of sweet tea at your elbow while you read is not required, but strongly recommended.

Keri is represented by Louise Fury and Victoria Lowes of The Bent Agency. She’s multi-published, including the popular Through The Wall from An Apple Trail Novella Series. Her full length series in Bella Warren, Arkansas continues in 2015 from Lyrical Press

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