Book Review: The Second Chance Cinema

By Melissa Amster

At the end of a dark alley, a magical cinema glitters with The Story of You on the marquee. When Ellie and her fiancé, Drake, stumble upon it during a late-night walk, they’re shocked to discover what’s playing inside the red-velvet auditorium: their formative memories.

Uneasy about what the theater might reveal, Drake hesitates, but Ellie, haunted by a fractured night from her past she can’t fully remember, insists they return. As their memories projected on the screen inch closer to the present, they realize they’re both keeping secrets from each other.

With their wedding on the horizon, Ellie and Drake must decide if revisiting their pasts will alter their vision of a future together. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

I was initially interested in The Second Chance Cinema because I loved the cover and the premise sounded fascinating, as I'm into surreal novels. I'm so glad I finally got a chance to read it, as it was really thoughtful and engaging.

The Second Chance Cinema is about an engaged couple who stumble upon this gorgeous old-style movie theater that shows just one film, and it's only for them to watch because it contains their memories. Over the course of watching the progression of memories, they learn new things about themselves and each other...stuff that could end their marriage before they even say "I do."

The premise of this novel was really cool with how it included magical realism, but that was only one aspect since everything else was genuine. The surreal part made me think of The Night Circus in some ways. A lot of information unfolds while they are watching their memories and it makes them question their relationship. The revelations kept me turning the pages, wanting to see what would happen next. There was a lot that felt relatable. Even the parts that weren't relatable felt emotionally accessible. The dialogue and descriptions really made the story come to life.

I liked Ellie and Drake as a couple and was hoping they would reach their wedding day unscathed. However, the way they learned more about each other and their secrets made that difficult, to say the least. 

If you missed out on reading this novel last year, it's never too late to pick it up. Be sure to have some good-tasting popcorn nearby though! (You'll see what I mean soon enough!)

Movie casting suggestions:

Ellie: Sophie Cookson

Drake: Tom Brittney

Melinda: Meghann Fahy

(Trigger warnings below. May contain spoilers.)

Thanks to Atria for the book in exchange for an honest review.

This made me think of the novel

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TW: Death of sibling. Divorce (parents).

Kat Mackenzie’s latest experiment has chemistry...plus a book giveaway

We're pleased to have Kat Mackenzie here to celebrate the publication of her latest novel, Experiments in Offline Dating. This virtual vacation romance sounds absolutely delightful. Thanks to HarperCollins, we have THREE copies for some lucky readers!

Kat Mackenzie is an American who just happened to find herself living abroad for ten years and accidentally traveling to over forty countries in an attempt to taste all the food. She holds degrees from the University of Edinburgh and the University of Oxford but has discovered that they serve her best collecting dust on the shelf while she pens comedy-forward stories about women who travel.

Visit Kat online:
Website * Facebook * Instagram

Synopsis:
A sharp-witted enemies-to-lovers romcom about a podcaster who embarks on a matchmaking tour of Ireland and gets trapped with a grump who pushes all of her buttons.

Maya Davis is chronically terrible at dating. So much so that she's turned her catastrophic dating experiments into a full-time job. Hellbent on dating "offline" for her second podcast season, Maya travels to Ireland to meet the world-renowned local matchmaker, and gets set up on a slew of horribly funny meet-ups that are exactly the type of comedy gold she was looking for.

At the town’s annual Matchmaking Festival, Maya wins a blind date with a surly local sheep farmer. But while she's had every bad date in the book, nothing could have prepared her for the apocalyptic, full-body-cringe that is the worst date of her life!

All she wants to do is forget it ever happened, but when the mischievous matchmaker talks her into a whirlwind dating adventure, he fails to mention that it's with the one person in Ireland that she just can't stand - her blind date catastrophe!

Trapped together, Maya and Tadhg journey across picturesque landscapes and green countryside until their constant verbal sparring feels increasingly like chemistry. And the more time they spend together, the more Maya begins to wonder if perhaps she’s not so catastrophic at love after all.

Brimming with humor and delicious tension, this heartfelt travel romance is the perfect escape!

What is a favorite compliment you received on your writing?

Hmmm. It always touches me to hear that I gave someone hope about rising from the ashes of their current situation. I absolutely love when people go traveling and visit the sites, pubs, and restaurants that I recommend in my books. I have also been told that my writing is a masterclass on insults, and I find that particularly delectable!

How is Maya similar to or different from you?

Actually, Maya is more similar to me than my last FMC Alice. I’m pretty calm and I tend to just go with the flow. I use humor as a competitive sport. Dates don’t stress me out the way they do Maya, and unlike her, the scientific part of my brain has long since atrophied. But I do have six foster-fail rescue pets!

If Experiments in Offline Dating was made into a movie, who would you cast in the lead roles?

Oh my goodness - this one is so difficult. I think I’d like Aiden Turner for Tadhg with his gorgeous Irish accent, or a messy, bearded Henry Cavill. But Maya is impossible. I actually had a line in my book about which actress she looked like (since Jackie is always comparing people to actors), but I had to take it out because I just couldn’t decide! We would need someone with a wry, comic deadpan, and a mess of curly hair! 

Note from Melissa: Glad to throw my hat into the ring. 😉

Which book made you fall in love with reading?

So so so many. But perhaps one of the first that truly made me laugh was Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris. More than anything, I want my books to make people laugh. It is my only goal.

If your life was a TV series, which celebrity would you want to narrate it? 

Ha! I love this question. I’m going to say David Attenborough, because I am a scientific anomaly which should be studied.  

If we were to visit you right now, what are some places you would take us to see? 

Right now? I travel a lot, but at the moment I’m at my family home in Louisiana, so I’d take you kayaking in the swamps and then for a Cajun foodie tour, and then off to New Orleans for a pub crawl and music… and probably more food, let’s be honest. 

Thanks to Kat for chatting with us and HarperCollins for sharing her book with our readers.

How to win: Use KingSumo to enter the giveaway. If you have trouble using KingSumo on our blog, enter the giveaway here. If you are still having issues, please contact us.

Giveaway ends September 7th at midnight EST.

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Book Review: The Getaway

By Jami Denison

There are still two weekends before summer is unofficially over. If you’re feeling sorry for yourself because you’re not spending it at a mansion in the Hamptons with your closest friends, take Kiernan Scott’s latest thriller, The Getaway, to the pool. It’s an excellent reminder that Hampton billionaires are jerks and your best friends can kill you. 

Every year, Marshall and Marley and their closest couple friends go to Marshall’s brother Lincoln’s enormous estate in the Hamptons. But this year, it’s going to be different. Lincoln divorced Marley’s best friend Lily (who’s drying out in rehab) and replaced her with Hazel, who just had his baby. Sean and Suzy (and her little dog Winston) along with Josh and Juliet (who are always having the worst fights) don’t know what to expect this year. Who are Grant and Gemma, and why are their obnoxious teen daughters always filming everything? And what’s this about a hurricane?

When the couples arrive, they’re stunned to find envelopes left for each of them, just like Lily used to leave. But instead of Lily’s gentle words of encouragement, the anonymous writer has revealed their biggest secrets and greatest fears. It’s no surprise that the friends start turning on each other. And then the bodies start to fall. 

The premise reminded me a bit of the Netflix series The Four Seasons. I love the show, but I never understood why Anne didn’t just kill Ginny. She could have made it look like an accident. But she was too nice a person.  

There’s no one in The Getaway that’s too nice, except maybe Marley, so I had some trouble getting into the book. I expected most of the drama to be centered around the friends trying to deal with Hazel while still feeling loyal to Lily, and that’s not really a factor. Lincoln is a jerk; everyone screams at each other; there’s a rapper and a wild party on the grounds for some reason; the teens are obsessed with their internet followers and Suzy’s dog. 

Still, the book is a very well-structured locked-room mystery, and Scott pulls a rabbit out of hat at the midway point, revealing a tie that had previously been concealed. It’s tough to keep track of so many different characters, but the location is lushly portrayed, and the storm is realistic and terrifying. The ending is emotionally satisfying. 

Setting a locked-room mystery during a storm is becoming an increasingly popular choice, and fans of the genre have many of these books to choose from. Summer may be almost over, but hurricane season lasts until the end of November. Choose your friends carefully before sharing a house with them.  

Thanks to Over the River PR for the book in exchange for an honest review.

More by Kieran Scott:

Wish You Were Gone

Regrets Only

People Will Talk

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Book Review: I Love You, Charlie Tanner

By Melissa Amster

It’s never too late to become your best self…

After twenty years in an isolated Cape Breton commune, Charlie Tanner loses the man she thought was her soulmate—and her voice. Fleeing to a quiet Vermont cottage, she’s determined to heal, tend her garden, and start over.

When a widowed rabbi awakens feelings she thought were gone forever, Charlie must confront the truth of her choices—and chart a more confident future. Still, reverberations and rumors from her old life ripple back to her in her new home and hard as she tries, she just can’t escape the sinister truth of her last two decades. She tries to shut it out and build a new life, but Charlie’s past continues to haunt her, even to the point of threatening her life.

Finally, Charlie sees that no one will save her but herself. She must summon the courage to face the truth and speak up—be the strong woman she once wanted to be, long before she fell for lies and charismatic personalities. It’s not only her life on the line, now. If she doesn’t stand tall, she risks being silenced by the past and losing those she loves forever. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

I had been hearing some good buzz about I Love You, Charlie Tanner, and recently got the chance to check it out for myself. I'm so glad for that because it was so easy to fall in love with. 

The story was both comforting and unsettling at the same time. I just couldn't get enough of it! Lynne really explored the emotions that come with someone shutting out their family for a long period of time. There's just so much to unpack. We see flashbacks from Charlie's life on the commune, while she's currently trying to learn more about herself in her new life. 

I really just loved so much about this book. Lots of Jewish joy, great steamy scenes, genuine emotion and dialogue, descriptions that brought the story to life even more, and an interesting premise. The characters worked so well and had a variety of layers. 

I wish we had an update on something but I can't say what it is as to not spoil the story. I just felt like a certain aspect got left up in the air even after part of it was resolved. I also wish there had been a conversation between Charlie and her parents about how they treated her when she was a kid. None of these concerns were deterrents to the greatness of this novel, however.

I Love You, Charlie Tanner is currently available on Kindle Unlimited. Definitely check it out and bask in the warmth and generosity of this novel!

Movie casting suggestions:

Charlie: Milana Vayntrub

James: Ryan Hurst

Parker: Either Michiel Huisman or Max Greenfield

Charlie's mom: Stepfanie Kramer

Mary: Marguerite Moreau

Boden: Xavier Dolan

Indira: Matilda De Angelis

(Trigger warnings below. May contain spoilers.)

More by Lynne Golodner:

Woman of Valor

Cave of Secrets

Forest Walk on a Friday

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TW: Death of significant other/spouse, death of friend, parental neglect, being in a cult, being threatened, domestic abuse, PTSD.

Sara and Melissa Talk About...Our Favorite Songs

We've been running a column series to get more personal with our readers. We are now into our seventh year!

Since we've shared about our favorite movies, TV shows, and books, we thought it was only fair to talk about our favorite songs today! Maybe you'll want to add some of these to your playlist?

We're always open to topic suggestions, so please don't hesitate to share those in the comments. We'd also love to know if you can relate to anything we've said or hear your own thoughts on the topic. So don't be shy. 😊 We look forward to getting to know you as much as we're letting you get to know us. You can find our previous columns here, in case you missed them.

Melissa Amster:

I can't imagine life without music in it and love so many songs. It was hard to narrow it down, since I'm just sharing ten of them today and also split them between rock/pop music and show tunes. This is just a sampling of songs I love, but they definitely rank high on my favorites list!

Rock/pop:

"If You Leave" by O.M.D.: I don't like Pretty in Pink, but I've always loved this song. It's just so melodic and has a great tune and lyrics. It totally brings back the eighties for me.

"Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen: Ever since I heard this song in Wayne's World, I had to go out and get the soundtrack right away to hear it again and also had to memorize it, of course. I still love it 34 years later and will turn up the volume and sing along whenever I hear it.

Courtesy of YouTube

"My Favorite Mistake" by Sheryl Crow: I love the guitar riff and tune, and Sheryl's singing is so good in this one. 

"Right Back Where We Started From" by Maxine Nightingale: It was my theme song a while back. I love the instrumentals, which makes it sound fun and carefree. Like with "Bohemian Rhapsody," this song is also from the year I was born. 

"Torn" by Natalie Imbruglia: No matter how often I hear this one, I never get sick of it. It's just so nineties for me. I know it's a one hit wonder for Natalie, but I love the album this came from too.

Back in 2012, I was challenged to come up with a playlist at my personal blog. Three of the above songs were on it at the time.

Show tunes:

"What Baking Can Do" from Waitress: I can't get enough of this song. It's so enjoyable to listen to and sing along with. Of course, I love baking, so there's that!

"Suddenly Seymour" from Little Shop of Horrors: My favorite song from this musical. It's so sweet and genuine. Especially because Audrey's not feeling like she deserves Seymour and he's totally crushing on her and now is his chance to make a move. It was especially fun hearing my son sing it when he played Seymour this past summer. (I'm sharing the movie version in the link because Ellen Greene is the ultimate Audrey.)

Courtesy of SoundCloud

"It Takes Two" from Into the Woods: Even though I'm burnt out on Into the Woods for the time being, I still love this song. It just speaks so well to marriage and partnership.

"Take Me or Leave Me" from Rent: What, you think I wouldn't include a song from my all-time favorite musical? It's the best song to sing along with. I even used it for my answering machine in college. ("Take me baby, or leave me...a message, thanks.")

"If I Were a Bell" from Guys and Dolls: Such a fun and melodic number about realizing you like someone. I love the rhyme scheme from it too. The lyrics just work together so nicely. 

Sara Steven:

Trying to determine my favorite songs of all time has been an extremely difficult task. I love and appreciate so many songs, so trying to narrow it down was tough. I decided to make a list of twenty songs that have gotten me through the years; the ones that even now when I listen to them, it takes me right back to the place and time when the lyrics resonated with me the most. In no particular order: 

Sia: "Breathe Me" (This one still brings me to tears whenever I hear it. Anyone who is familiar with HBO’s Six Feet Under and saw the series finale will understand.) The link is to the closing of the finale.

Eddie Money: "Take Me Home Tonight" (The first song I ever loved when I was six years old. I’m not sure why.)

Note from Melissa: I used to always think he said "I don't want to let you go till you're civilized." 

Crosby Stills & Nash: "Southern Cross"

Fiona Apple: "Sleep to Dream"

Courtesy of IMDb

Radiohead: "Karma Police"

Yelle: "Que Veux Tu (Madeon Remix)" (My kids used to dance to this song a lot when they were little.)

Massive Attack: "Teardrop"

Duran Duran: "The Chauffeur"

Garbage: "Supervixen"

Fleetwood Mac: "The Chain" (Anything by Fleetwood Mac is usually a go.)

Prince: "Erotic City"

Alanis Morissette: "Perfect"

Billy Joel: "She’s Always a Woman" (My first boyfriend had said that this song reminded him of me when we were teenagers. It’s beautiful.)

Courtesy of Medium

Metric: "Gold Guns Girls"

Mazzy Star: "Fade Into You"

Nirvana: "About A Girl"

Van Morrison: "Into the Mystic"

Pearl Jam: "Black"

Taylor Swift: "The Fate of Ophelia" (I only like a few songs by Taylor, but this one really sticks with me after I hear it.)

Phil Collins: "We Said Hello, Goodbye" (Another song that makes me feel emotional when I hear it. It hits home even more the older I get.) 

What are your favorite songs?

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Spotlight and Giveaway: The Last Pirouette

We're excited to share Janette DeFelice's debut novel, The Last Pirouette. Both the premise and the cover look really interesting. Thanks to Wildbound PR, we have THREE copies to give away!

A haunting, emotionally charged novel about the burden of being a woman, the grip of childhood trauma, and a mother’s fight to reclaim her life before losing her daughter—and herself—forever.

When Delia lands a coveted spot with a prestigious New York ballet company, she steps into a world of beauty, betrayal, and brutal ambition—while her mother, Victoria, is left behind to confront the wreckage of her own unrealized dreams and long-buried trauma. A cryptic prophecy shadows their lives and as Delia’s path toward womanhood is marred by injury and manipulation, Victoria embarks on a tender, midlife metamorphosis—rekindling her own desire and learning, too late, that letting go is not the same as giving up.

Told with lyrical grace and unflinching honesty, this haunting, feminist portrait of art, sacrifice, and rebirth reminds us: life dances on, a tragic ballet. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

“The Last Pirouette by Janette DeFelice is filled with striking imagery and emotional intelligence; it's a novel that understands how women carry the weight of other women's lives, and the liberating journey towards finding their own.”
—IndieReader

"DeFelice has a true gift for storytelling, and a gentle and graceful voice to carry us through the many twists and turns of a novel that reads like nonfiction. Heart-breaking. Crushing. Beautiful."
—Sondra R. Brooks, author of Not Good Enough Girl

Courtesy of Janette's Facebook page

Janette DeFelice is a health sciences professor, author, essayist, former professional dancer, and physician who chose motherhood over medicine. Her work explores performance, motherhood, ambition, trauma, and the female experience. She lives outside Chicago with her husband, twin teenagers, and an orange cat.  Visit Janette at her website and on Facebook.

How to win: Use KingSumo to enter the giveaway. If you have trouble using KingSumo on our blog, enter the giveaway here. If you are still having issues, please contact us.

Giveaway ends August 25th at midnight EST.

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Book Review: The Mountains We Call Home

By Melissa Amster

When Cussy Lovett, a Packhorse Librarian famed for bringing books to the people of Appalachia, is unjustly incarcerated, she finds a new calling as a prison librarian, bringing hope to downtrodden women and voiceless city residents alike, finding a home even while separated from those she loves. A vivid portrait of mid-century Kentucky, from the hills and hollers of Appalachia to a vibrant city neighborhood on the cusp of urban renewal, The Mountains We Call Home explores the effects of criminalization and incarceration on the poor and powerless, while tracing the societal consequences of fractured family bonds.

Gritty, heartbreaking, yet infused with hope, The Mountains We Call Home is an authentic American tale and a powerful testament of strength, survival, and the magic of the written word. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

I was excited to read The Mountains We Call Home because I enjoyed the first two novels in the Book Woman series. 

I loved this novel and was recommending it while only halfway through! It was great to reunite with Cussy and learn more about what happened while we were getting Honey's story in the second novel. The Mountains speaks to the transformative power of books and how important it is to be kind and not judge others by their appearance or background. I love how Cussy connects with people through her love of books. It was really beautiful and heartfelt. Especially since so many people had been mistrusting of her because her skin is blue.

I don't want to say too much as to not spoil what happens because I want you to be as surprised as I was. I felt like the ending was rushed a bit with a huge time jump, but it's mainly because I wanted the story to go on even longer. I also felt like there were some things left unanswered based on a decision made later in the novel. Neither of these concerns took away from how much I loved this novel!

Be sure to read the first two novels and then dig into this one! While it reads well as a standalone, it's so worthwhile to check out the first two novels so you can really get a feel for the characters and what led up to the events of this novel. I hope you will enjoy this series as much as I did. And if you only have time to read one of the novels, definitely make it this one as there's still a lot of context to make it easily understandable.

Reviews of the first two novels:

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek: Goodreads and Storygraph

The Book Woman's Daughter: Goodreads and Storygraph

Movie casting ideas: 

Cussy: Brie Larson

Jackson: Tim Rozon 

Honey: Oona Laurence 

Mrs. Claxton: Lynn Whitfield

Warden: Frances McDormand

(Trigger warnings below. May contain spoilers.)

Thanks to Sourcebooks for the book in exchange for an honest review.

More by Kim Michele Richardson:

The Sisters of Glass Ferry

Liar's Bench

Godpretty in the Tobacco Field
 

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TW: Incarceration, bullying, racism, mistreatment of prisoners, sterilization/eugenics, lobotomies, medical emergency, death penalty, domestic violence