Book Review: Twinkle of Doubt

By Sara Steven

**May contain spoilers for Shooting Stars Above, but can be read on its own.**

Tess Lee is a wildly successful and world-famous novelist whose inspirational books explore our innermost struggles and the human need to believe that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Jack Miller is a federal agent who has spent decades working in counterterrorism—a violent world that has left an inevitable residue on his psyche.

Two years into their marriage, as Tess and Jack both heal from past trauma, their epic love, fostered by their ability to truly see one another, has brought them profound happiness. When an anonymous threat is made against Tess’s life, however, everything changes. Will they learn to lean on each other, or will they fall apart into the darkness?

In Twinkle of Doubt, the second Celestial Bodies Romance, Tess, Jack, and their chosen family explore the nature of doubt and the struggle to feel worthy of love. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon)

For most of the book, the relationship between Tess and Jack felt very copacetic. Despite how different the two characters are, there is deep love and affection for one another, and sublime happiness. But in the last quarter of the book, a huge shift happens, where Tess’s life is in danger, and Jack feels like he needs to figure out how to protect his wife at all cost. 

No one knows where the threats are coming from, not at first. Jack can’t help but assume it’s something he’s done in his past to cause so many problems, which only adds more pressure and tension. Soon enough, the copacetic relationship between Tess and Jack starts to unravel, with more and more backstory revealed regarding Tess’s past. 

Tess has to make some very tough decisions, in order to save herself. And Jack has to make some tough decisions regarding those choices, introducing a whole other layer of chaos into their world. I wasn't sure what would happen, if Tess would be safe, or if Jack would lose it. I liked how the story got away from the perfection and ease that the reader is introduced to in the beginning, and the cracks and crevices become the highlighted areas, which added some much needed friction.

Even in a surreal world, bad things can happen, and I got to see that in abundance. Seeing if this epic love story can survive the bad was an interesting discovery, balancing on the trust and honesty given between two seemingly perfect characters which are anything but. Twinkle of Doubt was an intense, powerful experience!

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

More by Patricia Leavy:

Shooting Stars Above (Celestial Bodies, book 1)

The Location Shoot (Red Carpet Romance, book 1)

Hollyland

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Monica Comas cooks up a delicious story...plus a book giveaway

Credit: Dorothy Shi
Photography

We're excited to welcome Monica Comas to CLC today! Her debut novel, Recipe for Joy, sounds like a beautiful and heartfelt story. And it's perfect for foodies. Thanks to BookSparks, we have TWO copies to give away!

Monica Comas was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from The Ohio State University and a master’s in journalism from New York University. She’s worked as a newspaper reporter, a journalist covering stocks and the economy, and a financial editor. But fiction has always been her true love. Monica lives in New York with her husband, John, and their tiny shih tzu, Poirot. 

Visit Monica online:
Website * Facebook * Instagram

Synopsis:
A grieving woman finds healing and purpose through her late grandmother’s cherished recipes in a poignant and hopeful novel about rediscovering the comfort of family in the most trying of times.

Belle Sutton is a little lost these days.

She has a stalled career, a New York apartment she can’t afford, and her sister, Lexie, is more estranged with each passing year. Belle’s one true consolation is her beloved grandmother, who’s powered through her own broken family ties with a tenacious zest for life and a passion for cooking. But when her grandmother suddenly passes away, a grieving Belle feels her only connection to the past is gone forever.

That’s when Belle receives a series of letters, along with a cookbook, photographs of Belle and Lexie when they were young and happy, and her grandmother’s last wish that the sisters mend severed ties before it’s too late. For the love of Gran, a challenge is met that sets Belle and Lexie on a journey of hope, reconciliation, surprising discoveries, and the nourishing power of family, forgiveness, and tradition. All they have to do is follow the directions.

“Comas gives us characters so real, you’ll want to invite them to your own kitchen table.” 
—Lori Foster, New York Times bestselling author

“With a pinch of memory and a dash of love, Comas’s debut is a novel to savor. An absolute joy to read.”
 —Rochelle Weinstein, bestselling author of We Are Made of Stars

“Recipe for Joy is an old-fashioned, hopeful hug of a novel, complete with recipes that are sweet to the tooth and nourishing to the soul.” 
—Karen Dukess, USA Today bestselling author of The Last Book Party

In one sentence, what was the road to publishing like for you?
The road to publication has been twisty and long, but I have to say, it’s also been wonderful and filled with the loveliest people who’ve become dear friends. 

How is Belle similar to or different from you?
I would say she’s quite similar to me. I used kernels of how I’d felt at different points in my life—grieving, feeling lost and inadequate—and then inflated them to be much larger and thornier. I think authors draw from their own lives quite a bit for inspiration…but then we have to change things, mold them or exaggerate to form something new. There are gentler aspects of me found in Belle as well…loving to cook, appreciating yardwork, adoring the snow, having to wear running recovery sandals (which are really quite comfy!). But I think most of all, I’ve been blessed to have wonderful relationships in my life…and Belle has that as well. 

If Recipe for Joy was made into a movie, who would you cast in the leading roles?
Oh, my goodness, to be clear: If that dream ever came to pass, I would be thrilled with whomever brought Recipe for Joy’s characters to life! And if Reese Witherspoon was cast as Belle and Rose Byrne as her younger sister, Lexie, I would cry an ocean of happy tears.

What is one of your go-to-recipes?
Every week without fail, I make something I call Vegetarian Chompy Chomps. It’s basically a health bowl, for lack of a better description, with a little choose your own adventure thrown in! I sauté onions and herbs, add some sort of cooked grain (brown rice, farro, or bulgur wheat, for example), add in a bean (chick peas are my favorite), and greens (kale, broccoli, broccoli rabe, or spinach), and sauté it all together. Usually, I finish it all with lots of lemon. Sometimes there’s quinoa. Other times, edamame. Olives and sundried tomatoes have been known to make appearances. It changes from season to season. But it’s always delicious and super healthy.

If your life was a TV series, which celebrity would you want to narrate it? 
Oh my gosh, that’s such a hard question to answer! I’m have to go with an absolute icon: Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

If we were to visit you right now, what are some places you would take us to see?
I’d love to show you to Central Park, which is the gem of New York City. We’d walk along the extensive pathway system with coffee (or tea, if that’s your preference!). The park is such a special place, and the paths are amazing. There are 58 miles of pathways in the 843-acre park, so every time you go, the experience can be as different as you want. You can change it up and explore a new part of the park, or walk along a familiar path, which feels like returning to an old friend. Not only is the park a gorgeous spot where everyone can exhale and enjoy nature, it’s some of the best people watching you’ll get in the city.

After strolling The Ramble, seeing Cleopatra’s Needle and the Shakespeare Garden—oh! And the Conservatory Garden, the park’s formal garden, which isn’t to be missed!—we’d have a picnic in Sheep Meadow. And since the Metropolitan Museum of Art actually backs up onto the park, taking in some of the Met’s extensive collection would be the perfect endnote to the afternoon.

Thanks to Monica for visiting with us and to BookSparks 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 March 24th at midnight EST.

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Sara and Melissa...Recommend Life-Changing Movies

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

This month, we are sharing our recommendations for life-changing movies that younger generations should watch. We were inspired by this post from last fall. Even though we're closer to 50, we still have seen a lot of movies that are worth recommending. We'd love to hear your recommendations too!

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.

Sara Steven:

I love recommending movies to my kids. It’s part nostalgia and shared experience for me. It’s hit or miss if they end up liking my suggestions or not, and there have been times it’s backfired too; like the time I wanted my oldest to watch Sixteen Candles when they were a preteen, completely forgetting that there is nudity the first fifteen minutes in. Lesson learned! 

Note from Melissa: When I first showed that movie to my kids, I forgot there was nudity and they called me out on it. 😅

The article we’re basing this post on cites movies that are “life-changing,” and while I’m not sure my list fulfills that requirement, I think the movies were life-changing for me when I first watched them. I stand by my 27 choices and my kids have seen a lot of what’s on my list already. 

27. The Exorcist

I first saw this movie when I was about 10 years old–I couldn’t sleep in my bed for a whole week afterwards because I was too afraid to.

26. The Sound of Music

25. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy

Courtesy of YouTube

Note from Melissa: I got you an "I love lamp" shirt because of that movie. 😂

24. Juno

There is a lot of depth and humanity within this movie; the ending felt like everything was just as it was meant to be.

23. Little Miss Sunshine

22. National Lampoon’s Animal House

I used to have a dating rule when I was a teen: if the person I was interested in didn’t know who Jon Belushi was, it was a hard pass. 

Courtesy of  The Many Rantings of John

21. The Shining

20. Save the Last Dance

19. The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly

My dad “made” me watch this when I was a kid, so I bestowed this on my own children.

18. Forrest Gump

Courtesy of IndieWire

17. Ikiru

I saw this movie as a required viewing for college just a few years ago. I recommend seeing at least one Kurosawa film in life.

16. The Sixth Sense

15. How The West Was Won

14. Enter the Dragon

13. Stand By Me

12. Labyrinth

When my children were small, I would sing “Magic Dance” to them–”You remind me of the babe/What babe/Babe with the power…”

11. Legally Blonde

10. Gigi

I loved the costumes! One of my biggest wishes in life is to own a dress like the one Gigi wears.

Courtesy of Pinterest

9. Heathers

8. Blazing Saddles

7. The Breakfast Club

6. Clueless

5. Mean Girls

4. The Devil Wears Prada

I don’t often re-watch movies, but this one I can watch multiple times. 

3. Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion

2. The Princess Bride

1. The Neverending Story

Melissa Amster:

I'm always trying to get my kids to see the movies I grew up with, but there are definitely some that they haven't seen yet and I've been wanting them to see these movies at some point. Others were moral imperatives and they have seen them already (or at least some of my kids have). To keep this list from going on forever, I'll narrow it down to ten. A couple were in the post linked above.

1. The Shawshank Redemption. Such a powerful and moving film. I'm always shocked when someone says they haven't seen it. 

2. Mr. Holland's Opus. The arts are so important and this movie is a testimony to that. I also appreciate that they explore hearing loss in relation to music.

3. Forrest Gump. Such a legendary film. A nice history lesson too! 

4. The Princess Bride. One of the best movies ever. Romantic, funny, adventurous, with villains we love to hate and so many quotable lines. 

Courtesy of Den of Geek

5. Back to the Future. This movie was my childhood. I was obsessed and even made coloring books about it and had my Barbies act it out. Such an epic time travel movie that everyone should see at least once!

6. The Karate Kid. So completely well done and it ages nicely too. I also love how Cobra Kai ties into the series, but the first one will always be my favorite. When I was a kid, I loved it so much that I had to see it a second time in the theater!

Courtesy of LIFE

7. Beauty and the Beast. A few years ago, my in-laws told me they never saw this movie. I know this is a reverse generational thing, but I made sure they watched it the next time they visited. And they loved it! Anyway, there's a reason it was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar (instead of Best Animated Film). It was originally marketed as "the most beautiful love story ever told." I still love it and cry every time I watch. I also relate so much to Belle, and not just because I love to read. I just think it's something everyone should see as it reminds people that beauty is found within.

8. Life is Beautiful. Of all the Holocaust movies out there, this is the one I'm attached to the most. It's told in such a unique way, but it has such a huge impact at the same time. I found it to be way more powerful and emotional than Schindler's List. 

9. Waiting for Guffman. If you're looking for a good laugh, look no further. Being a theater person, I love this movie even more. I'm always recommending it to people. And now that Catherine O'Hara has passed away, it's one of those movies that pays homage to her comedic talent and somehow slipped under the radar vs. Home Alone or Beetlejuice.

Courtesy of IMDb

10. The Rocky Horror Picture Show, but more for the experience as you need to see it in a theater with everyone yelling lines and throwing things. Also, Tim Curry is fantastic. I'd also make them wait until they are 17 or 18 before seeing it. (I did that with my oldest and he's gone to see it with me thrice.)

Which life-changing movies would you recommend to younger generations?

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Book Review: The Hundred Man Plan

By Sara Steven

Ten years of a seemingly perfect marriage crumbles when an anonymous woman uncovers her husband's affair.

To add insult to injury, he blames his infidelity on her, calling her "frigid" and "a prude." To prove she's anything but, she embarks on a liberating sexual odyssey, embracing her desire and refusal to be defined by her ex-husband's hurtful words. She, along with her already sexually liberated best friend, hatch the ultimate to sleep with one hundred men.

As she sets forth on this contemporary heroine's journey, navigating the complexities of modern relationships and one-night stands, she begins to break free from the constraints of her past. Each encounter becomes a step towards reclaiming her identity and redefining her notions of love, intimacy and fulfillment. (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.)

The protagonist in The Hundred Man Plan set out to do something that a lot of us have thought about–but never admit to thinking about: Hooking up with absolutely no strings attached. Spurned on by the utmost betrayal, she intends to prove her ex’s infidelity wrong. 

Each chapter is marked off by the individual (or in some cases, individuals) that she sleeps with, going into great detail about their encounters. Written like diary entries, I could really get inside the mind of the protagonist and could understand the liberation she feels in letting herself go and doing something that is ordinarily outside of her comfort zone and so out of character for her. She has a best friend who has sort of become the blueprint for her, but I felt the protagonist far surpasses her friend. At one point, the one who never wants to settle down is the one who is actively looking for love, as though the characters switch places, but it felt more like character growth to me. The best friend is learning to love, while the protagonist learns to let go of preconceived notions of how the world works. 

While I have thought about the freedom that might come from not having to answer to society’s standards or anyone else’s for that matter, and I hold no judgement for those who do, I could see just how liberating yet exhausting the search for justification becomes. The protagonist initially wants to prove to her ex (and to herself) that she really isn’t as vanilla as he claims her to be, but the real eye-opener is when she comes to realize that it doesn’t matter what he (or anyone else) thinks! That was pretty amazing, and the encounters she had were pretty steamy and satisfying, too. It was a fun read!

Thanks to Misty O'Hara for the book in exchange for an honest review.

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Spotlight and Giveaway: The Book Tour

We're pleased to feature Emily Ohanjanian's debut rom-com, The Book Tour, today. This enemies-to-lovers story sounds like it will heat up the pages and we're excited for you to check it out. Thanks to Random House, we have one copy to give away!

Despite her popular podcast and sold-out speaking events, Ana Movilian still feels like she has to prove herself. To her family, who can't believe she quit med school to build an influencer career, and to literary snobs, who decry her buzzy self-help book. Happily, her upcoming book tour is the perfect chance to show the world just how bright her star can shine.

That is, until her beloved publicist resigns the night before their plane is set to take off, announcing that her replacement is none other than Ryan bleeping Grant.

Ryan specializes in highbrow, "important" books, and his perma-scowl in every interaction with Ana makes one thing clear: he does not get her book. Or her. He’s the last person who should be promoting her work, the last person she should be stuck with for two weeks . . . and the last person who should look that damn good in business casual.

As they travel from city to city, however, Ana's assumptions about Ryan take new shape. A decidedly more appealing shape. Soon, their growing attraction starts to feel like a ticking time bomb. But crossing that line could derail each of their careers faster than you can say "conflict of interest," and they both have bigger dreams at stake than the bestseller list. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

“As smart as it is steamy, this debut rom-com is fun, fresh, and fast-paced, and the sexiest book I’ve read this year. Loved it!”
— Chantel Guertin, bestselling author of It Happened One Christmas

“With a romance to root for and a witty, richly rendered peek into publishing, The Book Tour perfectly blends deft characterization with rom-com delight. Ana and Ryan’s story from between the covers to between the sheets is a tour de force and a book lover’s dream.”
— Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka, authors of The Roughest Draft

“Witty, warm, and wonderfully romantic, The Book Tour was an absolute delight from start to finish.”
— Jenn McKinlay, New York Times bestselling author of Love at First Book

Emily Ohanjanians is a romance author and professional book editor based in Toronto. After many years working at a major publisher, she left her in-house job to establish a freelance editorial business and parlay her lifelong love of joyous, escapist, romantic stories into her own writing. Visit Emily at her website and on Instagram. (Photo and bio courtesy of Emily's website.)

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 March 22nd at midnight EST.

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Book Review: Be Your Own Bestie

By Melissa Amster

You deserve happiness.

You deserve hope.

And you deserve a sassy best friend who can help you learn not to settle for less.

It’s time to start loving yourself radically. And Misha Brown—you may know him as @yourbestiemisha—is here to guide you along your journey of self-discovery, accountability, and most importantly, self-love. With his no-nonsense (but always loving) approach, Misha shares stories from his own life, encounters with others, and the wisdom gleaned from them to help you release the patterns, relationships, and beliefs that have kept you from stepping into your full fabulousness.

With equal parts hilarity and heart, Misha’s S.A.S.S. Method to glowing up your life consists of:

S – Self-reflection: Turn your focus inward to push away what’s been holding you back

A – Affirmations: Reshape the way you speak to and about yourself

S – Standing your ground: Set boundaries and stop apologizing

S – Sculpting the life you want: Take bold steps toward your own happily ever after

No matter where you are today, now is the time to begin showing up for yourself as your own best friend. Because you deserve it, bestie! (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

I've been following Misha Brown on Instagram and Facebook for quite some time now. His videos are so uplifting and I've even cried from some of them. I talked about him in our column post back in December, as the topic was "kindness." So when I heard he had a book releasing last month, I just had to read it! I rarely do audiobooks due to lack of available time, but I made an exception for this one as it was a bit shorter and I was doing more driving than usual. I'm so glad I got to listen to him read his book as it made the experience that much more meaningful. (I also made an exception to reading self-help books, as I normally don't.)

Misha shares stories and anecdotes from his life in order to illustrate the different points he is trying to make to his readers (a.k.a. besties). He also talks about things his friends have gone through and the advice he has given them. As far as self-help books go, this one was a breeze! 

I just loved hearing what Misha had to say and I felt a lot of it was so relatable. I even saw myself in some of the stories he had about his friends. I was cheering him on when he shared something good and getting angry on his behalf when people treated him poorly. I really liked how he was able to rise above the way people treated him and impart his wisdom to others who may be going through the same things. Where was he when I was dealing with a toxic friend in high school?!? (He was probably in elementary school since he's eleven years younger than me. 🤣)

Misha is just so kind, genuine, and a complete ray of sunshine! It's impossible NOT to adore him once you see even just one of his social media videos. I'm jealous of anyone who has gotten to actually connect with him in person or even receive a response to a message they sent him. He's very popular and high-in-demand, so I understand that. I just hope he brings his book tour to my neck of the woods soon. 

There are parts in the book where Misha asks readers to do thought exercises and write things down. I will admit that I didn't do this. I may have thought about what he suggested a few times, but I was hard-pressed to always come up with situations where I would be able to use these exercises. However, they are extremely helpful to anyone who would actually need them. I did feel a boost of confidence from listening to Misha be my own personal cheerleader during my drives and while folding laundry though! 

Something Misha said that was extremely relevant is that people tend to sympathize with bullies instead of victims. That has been happening a lot lately and it's a disturbing trend. Maybe Misha's next book should be helping people realize that they were brainwashed. 

Overall, this is a delightful book to listen to (or read in print or Kindle, if you don't do audio). I highly recommend it to anyone who needs a confidence boost or a push to remove toxicity from their lives. I think everyone can benefit in some way from listening to Misha and becoming their own bestie! (On the audio version, Misha leads a meditation at the end.)

Side note: The other day, my daughter was giving advice to one of her friends regarding some friendship drama. Afterward, I told her how much she sounded like Misha and how proud I was. (She hasn't even listened to Misha, but she definitely said everything he would say!)

Side note 2: Since you know how much I love Ghosts, the name of Misha's method is easy for me to remember. And honestly, Sass could use some S.A.S.S. too. (Although I am impressed by something he did recently, but more for his own sake.)

Purchase Be Your Own Bestie here.

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Book Review: Moms Love Boy Bands

By Melissa Amster

Four best friends. A dream vacation. Then one vanishes without a trace.

Celebrating their forty-fifth birthdays, four best friends escape to a tropical island for "Boy Bands at the Beach." What could be better than basking in the sun, devouring beach reads, and being serenaded by the bands they idolized as teenagers?

But when the story opens, we learn that each woman is at a crossroads. Nicole is at a boudoir photo shoot, desperate to recapture when she was the life of every party and not just a boring stay at home mom. Liliana, the overworked COO of a tech company, has missed dinner with her family again and must face her disappointed husband. Angie, the misfit of the group, is wrestling with a secret from the past. And Carly, a trendsetting influencer, is on social media promoting her beach trip must-haves, even though she just caught her husband cheating.

Enter Luca-a gorgeous, charismatic twenty-something year-old. When he befriends Angie, the others question why he's at an event for women who get Botox injections and need sensible shoes. Suspicion escalates when someone steals Angie's passport. Then, the unthinkable happens when one friend vanishes. Will the others find her, or will a vacation to see the best nineties boy bands of all time end in disaster? (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

Moms Love Boy Bands is all sorts of nostalgic fun! It reminded me of when my best friend and I met up in Nashville to see New Kids on the Block in concert. We were both obsessed in middle school and still screaming for our NKOTB crushes in our forties! 🤣

The story has a bit of a White Lotus feel. (Think of the girlfriend group in season three.) There's also an element of danger in the story when one of the friends disappears and no one knows what happened or why. 

I loved all the nostalgia in the story and it made me want to listen to nineties music even more than I already do. Aside from NKOTB, I also enjoy listening to NSYNC and Backstreet Boys. The parts about the mental load mothers experience was so relatable and honest. Things did get real quite a few times (aside from all the vacation shenanigans) and I felt bad for the women for different reasons. I also liked that one of the friends was Jewish and that there were mentions of Shabbat, Hebrew school, etc.

My main concern was that some parts felt a bit disjointed, like the motivation was off. Certain situations could have been resolved if people just talked and listened instead of jumping to conclusions. Things weren't always what they seemed and even I assumed the worst sometimes!

If you need a virtual vacation filled with nineties memories and boy band music, look no further! I enjoy Jenifer's mom-coms and look forward to reading more from her.

(Trigger warnings below.)

Movie casting suggestions:

Nicole: Marla Sokoloff
Liliana: Romola Garai
Carly: Claire Coffee
Angie: Rachael Leigh Cook
Luca: Michael Provost
Josh: Justin Bartha

Thanks to Jenifer Goldin for the book in exchange for an honest review. 

More by Jenifer Goldin:

Anonymous Mom Posts

Moms Who Read Romance Novels

Good Moms Say Bad Words

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TW: Death of mother (cancer). Kidnapping. Infidelity. Career pressure. Marriage difficulties. Being scammed.