Annie Cathryn has a delicious new story...plus a book giveaway

We're so excited to have Annie Cathryn back at CLC today to celebrate the publication of her latest novel, Eat the Cake. Melissa loved it and can't wait for you all to read it. (Check out her review on Goodreads and Storygraph.) We enjoyed chatting with her again and hope you will have fun reading our interview. She has one copy to share with a lucky reader!

Annie Cathryn has always dreamed of becoming an author and lives by the motto, “Creating is Living.” After a career in marketing communications and launching her own consulting agency, she returned to her first love—writing. Her debut novel, The Friendship Breakup, was a Zibby’s 2023 pick, reached #15 on Amazon’s New Releases in Friendship Fiction, and received multiple literary awards. 

An avid reader of more than 100 books a year, Annie is also a Bookstagrammer, podcast host, and published essayist. She lives in Chicagoland with her husband, daughter, and two fur babies, and when she’s not writing or reading, she’s organizing her personal library by color or planning her next adventure. (Bio adapted from Annie's website.)

Visit Annie online:

Website * Facebook * Instagram * TikTok

Synopsis:

Leah Wright spends her days advising thousands of podcast listeners on how to live their best lives. But since her husband Elliot died, she has been running on autopilot—until a very public on-air meltdown forces her into a mandatory leave of absence. With her career at stake and her sponsors wavering, Leah is finally compelled to confront the silence of her empty home.

Then, the impossible happens.

A bouquet of flowers arrives at her door with a note from Elliot. Hidden among his belongings, Leah discovers an itinerary for the surprise trip to Florence that he never had the chance to give her. Urged by her sister-in-law to find closure, Leah flies to Italy, only to uncover that Elliot has left her one final gift: a scavenger hunt through the winding, sun-drenched streets of the city.

As the clues become more personal, the mystery deepens. How could he have known what she would need to hear months after his death? To find the final message, Leah must stop hiding behind her podcast persona and confront the secret guilt she has been carrying—or risk remaining broken forever. (Courtesy of Amazon.)

"It's a beautiful, soul-stirring journey about love and loss and resiliency, with enough plot twists to keep even the most self-assured reader guessing." 

—Heidi Shertok, author of Match Me If You Can

"Annie Cathryn's luminous exploration of grief affirms that healing doesn't happen in isolation—friends can be a salve for the soul. A heartrending, hopeful, and unforgettable story." 

—Dara Levan, author of Shaken to the Core

"Annie Cathryn's latest is a warm, perceptive novel highlighting her true gift for storytelling." 

—Camille Pagán, bestselling author of Dog Person

What is a favorite compliment you received on your writing? 
My favorite compliment is when a reader tells me they both laughed and cried while reading my book. That is always my ultimate goal. I want the story to truly move people and take them on an emotional journey.

What were the biggest rewards and challenges with writing Eat the Cake?
The middle of a book is usually the hardest part for me. I often get caught up in what writers call a "saggy middle." To fix it this time, I had to add more scenes in Florence to keep the momentum going and help the book flow better.

The most rewarding part of fixing that middle section was the research process. It allowed me to take a wonderful trip down memory lane! Florence is one of my absolute favorite travel destinations, and I was thrilled to bring its magic to life in Eat the Cake.

If Eat the Cake was made into a movie, who would you cast in the leading roles?
This is such a fun question to think about! Here is my dream cast for the book:

Leah: Emma Roberts. She fits the role completely!
Elliot: Austin Butler. He has those perfect, bright blue eyes to pull it off.
Megan: Maya Hawke. I absolutely adored her in Stranger Things and know she'd be incredible.
Marco: Leo Howard. He has the exact right look, plus he actually plays the guitar!
Frank: Ethan Hawke. How amazing would it be to see him share the screen and play a role with his real-life daughter, Maya?

Which book made you fall in love with reading?
For me, the spark ignited when I discovered the Sweet Valley Twins and Sweet Valley High series. I was captivated by the dramatic world of Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield. Following the twins as they navigated everything from middle school friendship shifts in Sweet Valley Twins to the high school drama of Sweet Valley High made me keep turning the pages. 

I used to rush to the bookstore or library to grab the next one just to see what the Wakefield twins would do next. It was the fast-paced storytelling that hooked me—and it ultimately shaped my own love for writing stories filled with deep friendships, relatable awkward moments, and plenty of heart.

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

Personally, I would choose Anna Kendrick. I’ve always loved her dry humor and the way she delivers the punchline to her own jokes. Plus, she is incredibly relatable with her straight talk about anxiety and being awkward. Honestly, I think she and I would be friends IRL!

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

I live in Geneva, Illinois, and it’s so charming. If I were taking you on a tour of my favorite hometown spots, our first stop would be Graham’s—the best local chocolate shop, which you might recognize because I featured it in Eat the Cake. It is a must-visit! 

Next, we would wander over to Evernia, a gorgeous boutique housed in a stunning Victorian building. This exact property inspired the chocolate shop in The Friendship Breakup, and I am thrilled to be hosting my Eat the Cake book launch there! 

Finally, we would head to The Little Traveler for some incredible shopping. Built in 1862, this historic 36-room Victorian mansion is filled with unique treasures curated from all across the globe.

Thanks to Annie for chatting with us and 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 July 26th at midnight EST.

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Book Review: The Freshman Parents

 

By Sara Steven

Single parent Heather isn't neurotic (honest!) — she's simply dreading the day her only child leaves for university — so her meticulous checklists grow longer by the hour. When she seeks advice from a parents' forum, she clashes with Scott, a single dad, whose "helpful" statistics and assertions about "helicopter parenting" leave her fuming.

Move-in day delivers the ultimate surprise: their daughters aren't just room-mates — they're self-declared best friends for life.

Despite their intentions to avoid relationships at all costs, unpredictable events keep throwing Heather and Scott together, making it increasingly difficult to ignore each other...  (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.)

Heather and Scott are complete opposites; Heather needs mass amounts of control in her world in order to feel safe, and Scott claims he doesn’t need to be in control at all, although the verdict is out on that. To him, Heather is a helicopter parent who has too much say in how her daughter Georgia lives her life, and for Heather, Scott has been a total hands-off parent with his daughter Brianna, convinced he’s taught her how to be self-sufficient and independent that way. Truthfully, both parents are dealing with their newfound empty nest situations–and both are struggling with it in their own ways. 

The need for control (or lack thereof) comes from the experiences both characters have had in their pasts. Heather has seen a lot of absence, and Scott has dealt with a lot of loss. Despite how completely different they are from one another, there are plenty of ways they meet in the middle and can understand what it feels like to lose someone they loved and cared about. It causes Heather to cling too tightly to her daughter and not let anyone in. For Scott, he wants his daughter to take care of herself at all cost, creating a bit of distance from her. It’s like the best of both worlds for parenting would be to meet in the middle of those parenting styles, which starts to happen the more time Heather and Scott spend together. 

There are chat messages in The Freshman Parents between Scott, Heather, and the rest of the freshman university parent group, and I could really relate to the dialogue there, having my own child who is in college, with another one right on their heels in high school. While both of my kids still live at home, I imagine the day either (or both) of them move out will be incredibly hard for me, and such a huge adjustment. The various questions asked and the advice given in the parent group is reminiscent of what I’d imagine for my own support group, should I need that someday. It takes a village to raise a child, but what happens to the parents once that job is done? 

Both Heather and Scott have some hidden secrets they’re keeping from one another, mostly in an effort to lay low and not succumb to drama. But in not being completely honest, they put a lot of doubt on their budding relationship, which makes them wonder if it’s even worth getting involved. Over time, they see more than what they’d originally assumed–maybe Heather isn’t such a control freak. And Scott cares a lot more than he lets on. The high dive into what it takes to try to heal from the proverbial empty nest syndrome and come out at the other end mostly unscathed was fun, touching, and a worthy five-star experience! 

Thanks to Rachel's Random Resources for the book in exchange for an honest review.

Purchase links:
Amazon US * Amazon UK

Ko Porteous lived in a tiny fishing village in the north of Scotland before moving to Edinburgh aged 10.  

Ko loves meeting people with interesting stories to tell and is constantly on the lookout for knotty story themes, particularly involving women navigating the messiness of life. She has worked as a Research Chemist, Assistant Chef, Teacher and School Leader.  

As well as writing, Ko works as a Business Manager and provides listening services for a mental health charity aiming to reduce the number of deaths caused by suicide.  

In her free time Ko loves to run, meditate and travel; preferably all on the same day.   

Ko has been married for 25 years, has two children, and is now navigating her own empty nest.  

The Freshman Parents is Ko’s debut novel and is the first in ‘The Empty Nesters’ series.  

Visit Ko on Facebook and Instagram.

Visit all the stops on Ko's blog tour:

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Book Review: How to Kill a Crime Writer

By Jami Denison

Some writers say the characters they create dictate the plots to them. That they figuratively sit on these authors’ shoulders as they type, spelling out what happens next. They can barely type fast enough to keep up. 

I am not one of these lucky writers—it’s as hard as giving birth for me—but author Sarah Lotz may be. Her latest book, How to Kill a Crime Writer, features a living, breathing, wisecracking muse who dictates the protagonist’s actions. The kicker? Niamh, the protagonist, is not the muse’s creator. Rather, her mother Annie created hard-bitten PI Leah—and now Leah needs Niamh to prove that Annie didn’t die by falling off a ladder, but was murdered. But is Niamh, a grief-stricken Millennial who failed to launch her own writing career and suffers from an anxiety disorder, up to the task? 

Private investigator Leah Rebecca Overton is the best part of the book, even if she’s the figment of Niamh’s imagination. Leah is a combination of all the toughest female PIs, from V.I. Warshawski to Kinsey Millhone to Veronica Mars. Even though Niamh helped Annie create Leah, she still feels inferior to her. Leah is active when Niamh is passive, strong when she’s weak, brave when she’s scared. Leah is the daughter Niamh fears that Annie wished she had. And when she shows up in Annie’s kitchen, Niamh hides in the bathroom for two days. 

Eventually, though, Niamh comes out of the bathroom and listens to Leah’s argument about why she thinks Annie was murdered. And since Leah only exists in Niamh’s mind, Niamh is the only one who can investigate and put the clues together. Leah’s prodding forces Niamh out of the house, out of her shell, and into the world. As they get closer to finding out the truth about Annie’s death, Niamh starts to rely on Leah… and realizes the PI might not be as tough as she acts. But when Niamh realizes the killer might be closer than she thought, she has a painful decision to make. 

With its supernatural concept and submissive but humorous protagonist, How to Kill a Crime Writer should appeal to fans of Jesse Q. Sutanto’s Auntie series and The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman. While the plotting is strong, the pacing is a bit slow, and sometimes it’s hard to keep track of all the different characters.  

How to Kill a Crime Writer has much to offer. For fans of cozies, the book takes place in a small English hamlet with the usual collection of wacky British neighbors. For crime readers, there’s a convention like Bouchercon and insider gossip about agents and reviewers. For pet lovers, there are cats. And for anyone dealing with grief, Niamh’s heartbreak over her mother’s loss and reluctance to move forward will ring true. Lotz’s author’s note at the end of the book gives readers a sad insight into her motivations here. 

Lotz may have written her as a parody of fictional series detectives, but I’d love a book starring Leah Overton. In the meantime, is Veronica Mars streaming anywhere? 

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

More by Sarah Lotz:

The Impossible Us

Missing Person

The White Road

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Rachel Beanland lives life to its fullest...plus a book giveaway

We're pleased to welcome Rachel Beanland to CLC today to talk about her latest novel, The Half Life, which is now available. This sounds like a really interesting story and we are loving the cover. Thanks to Simon and Schuster, we have one copy to give away!

Rachel Beanland is the author of The House Is on Fire and Florence Adler Swims Forever, which won the National Jewish Book Award for Debut Fiction. She is a graduate of the University of South Carolina and earned her MFA in creative writing from Virginia Commonwealth University. She lives with her family in Richmond, Virginia.

Visit Rachel online:

Website * Facebook * Instagram

Synopsis:

When twenty-three-year-old Eileen O’Malley meets charismatic naval officer Paul Archer in a Charleston department store, she doesn’t expect to fall so hard, so fast. But Paul is funny and ambitious, and soon, Eileen’s got a ring on her finger and is following him to the tiny, sun-drenched Mediterranean island of La Maddalena, where Paul will be heading up Radiological Controls aboard a submarine tender.

In La Maddalena, Eileen joins a makeshift community of navy wives who are hell-bent on making the island feel a little more like home. But for Eileen, whose brother died in Vietnam, home is a loaded word, and as she settles into life on the island—taking Italian lessons and learning to make culurgiones—she begins to love the place for all the ways it is not like where she comes from.

Still, it doesn’t take long for Eileen to be confronted with the complexities of being an American abroad. The decision to send nuclear-powered subs into the La Maddalena Archipelago was a contentious one, and the U.S. government is doing whatever it can to ensure that the island—not to mention all of Italy—doesn’t go communist in the next election.

When Italian activists and scientists begin to sound the alarm about possible nuclear contamination in the water, the island erupts in a series of protests, made worse by the ongoing mishaps of the U.S. Navy. Soon, Eileen’s marriage falters and her loyalties begin to shift as she is drawn into a web of secrets—and to a local journalist who forces her to imagine a life beyond the one she’s been handed.

Atmospheric, sexy, and quietly defiant, The Half Life is a story of love, complicity, and awakening—of one woman forced to choose between loyalty to her husband and country and to the Italian locals who show her the high cost of American exceptionalism. (Courtesy of Amazon.)

"A captivating, whip-smart novel about love, loyalty, and a woman torn between two lives. I utterly adored it."

— Clare Leslie Hall, New York Times bestselling author of Broken Country

"The Half Life is a page-turner. Historical in setting, but contemporary in emotional terrain, I felt immersed in the landscape of La Maddalena and in the lives of these characters from the very first page." 

— Mary Beth Keane, New York Times bestselling author of Ask Again, Yes

"The Half Life is a summer read with scope and heart." 

— Adriana Trigiani, author of The View from Lake Como

What is a favorite compliment you've received on your writing?
I like it when people compliment my prose because that feels less subjective, somehow, than complimenting a novel’s characters or plot. I also love it when people tell me they lost sleep reading one of my novels. It’s a great feeling, to be so absorbed in a book that you can’t put it down.

How is Eileen similar to or different from you?

Eileen and I both have connections to the South, and South Carolina specifically. We’ve both spent time as Americans abroad, and in La Maddalena specifically. We’ve both known real grief, and we both married young—while we were still trying to figure out who we were. That’s probably the point at which our stories diverge! 

If The Half Life were made into a movie, who would you cast in the leading roles?
I live in a bubble where I still think actresses like Julia Roberts and Halle Berry are in their twenties, so this question is difficult for me. When I put it to my friends, who’ve read The Half Life, they tell me they want to see someone like Abigail Cowen or Sadie Sink in Eileen’s role. And maybe someone like Elena Kampouris would make a good Laura? Paul’s handsome but pretty complicated, so maybe a guy like Austin Butler? And all my friends think Eugenio Franceschini would make a great Teo, but I lean toward Leonardo Maltese.

Which book made you fall in love with reading?
There were lots of books I loved growing up. The Laura Ingalls Wilder books, Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, and Jean Webster’s Daddy-Long-Legs were some of my favorites. But L.M. Montgomery probably did more to help me fall in love with reading than any other writer. I loved the Anne of Green Gables series with my whole heart, and went on to read the Emily books as well as some of her stand-alone novels like Jane of Lantern Hill.

What is a question you'd like someone to ask you?
I always like talking about craft, but something tells me I’m going to be answering a lot of questions about infidelity on this book tour. The Half Life has got readers asking if infidelity is ever justified and under what circumstances.

If we were to visit you right now, what places would you take us to see?
If you visited me at home, we’d be in Richmond, Virginia in the middle of a sweltering summer, so I’d suggest we meet up in La Maddalena, Italy instead. We’ll spend our days at the beach, swimming in crystal clear water, and our evenings at the piazza, sipping Aperol spritzes.

Thanks to Rachel for visiting with us and to Simon & Schuster 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 July 21st at midnight EST.

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Book Review: Everything We Found

By Melissa Amster

On the outside, Nadia Jacobs is a cool, confident architect at the top of her game. But for the past decade, she’s been quietly building walls to keep the people she loves most at arm’s length. All because of him.

Thomas Donato sacrificed everything when he forced Nadia to keep a dangerous secret from everyone they knew. He did it to protect his family. But it cost him the woman he’s secretly loved since they were kids.

Now he wants back into Nadia’s life. Nadia’s heart does a familiar skip-and-stumble when met with his hesitant smile, but she sees through his bravado: Thomas is achingly alone. And letting him in risks losing everyone and everything she holds dear.

When his past abruptly crashes into their present, they are both suddenly on the run. Not only are they forced to confront the price of a secret they’ve kept for a decade, but a truth even more treacherous: their feelings for each other.

With time running out and nowhere to hide, will their love heal what darkness broke in them all those years ago, or will it shatter them forever? (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

I'm so glad Kerry Lonsdale wrote another novel for her Everything series. I first read Everything We Keep ten years ago and fell in love with it (reviewed here). Since then, I have read all of Kerry's novels. 

Everything We Found is an explosive finale to the series and ties up some things from the first book, just through different lenses. It can be read on its own but I highly recommend reading all of the books as you will feel even more connected to the supporting characters this way. They're all great so it's worth a binge read until this one arrives in early August! I appreciated that Kerry included some refreshers from the first book so I could see exactly when and how everything fit in from Nadia's side.

There's romance and high-stakes suspense involved in this one, so be prepared not to leave your seat for a while! A lot of danger and intensity throughout, some of which I wasn't expecting at all. I was definitely along for the ride in hopes that good would prevail over evil. There are some parts in this story that are sad, especially when you think too much about them. I just wanted everything to be okay for Thomas and Nadia and I was definitely worried for them.

Be sure to add this one to your TBR right away. (There will be spoilers for the other books and you really won't want to ruin those experiences for yourself, so read the rest of the series first!) 

(Trigger warnings below.)

Movie casting suggestions (most are from previous books in the series):

Nadia: Karen Gillan

Thomas: James Wolk

Aimee: Hallee Hirsh

James: Skylar Astin

Kristen: Kristin Cavallari 

Ian: Emile Hirsch 

Cammy: Gloria Estefan

Thanks to Kerry Lonsdale for the book in exchange for an honest review.

More by Kerry Lonsdale (outside of the Everything series):
Falling for You Again
Side Trip
No More series 

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TW: Hostage situation, murder (also gruesome descriptions of murder), being chased by criminals, gun violence, poverty, child abuse

Spotlight and Giveaway: Rewrite the Stars

We're excited to feature Lindsay Hameroff's latest novel, Rewrite the Stars! Melissa loved it and gave it five stars, calling it "delightful." Check out her review. Thanks to St. Martin's Press, we have TWO copies for some lucky readers!

Semi-retired actress Marissa Morgan has played many parts in her life. But these days, her primary role is mother of two. Since hitting pause on her career, she’s worked hard to give her kids a normal childhood and shield them from the spotlight. So when her ex-husband announces his high-profile engagement and a media storm ensues, Marissa and her kids flee Los Angeles for a summer at her recently inherited Poconos lake house.

The long-vacant house needs major TLC, so Marissa hires a home renovation company to do repairs. But when the project hits a snag and Marissa finds herself sharing space with the crew, including Jesse, the handsome (and vaguely familiar) foreman, her plans for a drama-free summer hit choppy water.Jesse doesn’t expect Marissa to remember him; they were just kids when they last played together at the lake. But he’s never forgotten her; he’s spent the last two decades quietly following her career, even as his own dreams fell apart. And now that she’s stumbled back into his sleepy hometown, Jesse’s predictable life has gotten a lot more complicated.

As the summer days pass, Marissa finds herself centering her own needs for the first time in years—and that includes giving into her mounting attraction to Jesse. Soon, she finds herself wondering if their fling could become something more. After an unexpected career opportunity falls into Marissa's lap, it feels like the stars have finally aligned. But when new complications arise, the pair wonder how they’ll fit into each other’s future. Can Marissa and Jesse chart a new course together, or is it too late to rewrite the script for a happily ever after?

"The romance in Hameroff’s latest novel lives not only between its characters, but also in the hazy summer nights she captures so beautifully and achingly on every page. A summer romance with enough heat to linger long after the seasons turn." 
—Paige Harbison, author of Destination Funeral

"Lindsay Hameroff writes with so much humor and heart about second chances and the messy complications of being both a single mother and a single woman who’s learning—maybe for the first time—to put herself at the center of her own story. This one had me smiling from the first page to the last." 

—Ali Brady, USA Today bestselling author of Battle of the Bookstores

"Steamy, sweet, and deliciously triumphant, Rewrite the Stars puts Hameroff firmly in the category of rising romcom stars herself." 
—Sara Goodman Confino, bestselling author of Off the Record

Credit: Leslie Gilbert

Lindsay Hameroff is a writer, humorist, and former English teacher raised in Baltimore, Maryland, and based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Her writing has been featured in McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, Weekly Humorist, and fan letters to Harry Styles. She is the author of Till There Was You, her debut novel, and Never Planned on You. Visit Lindsay at her website, and on Facebook and Instagram.

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 July 19th at midnight EST.

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Book Review: An Infinite Love Story

By Allyson Bales

When Joe Mitchell launches into space, the world is watching. It’s 1968, and the country waits with anticipation and excitement for another successful mission, another celebration as America sets its sights on the Moon. And then comes the knock at the door.

Joe Mitchell’s spacecraft has lost contact. He and his fellow astronauts onboard are feared to be dead. It’s his wife Vivian’s worst nightmare come to life, her grief suddenly taking center stage as the nation waits and mourns. In her quiet moments, Vivian relives their memorable story, unable to accept that this is the end to a love that felt as though it was written in the stars.

As the investigation surrounding Joe’s lost spacecraft intensifies and the mishap is written off as an operator error, Vivian is determined to clear her husband’s name and uncover the mystery of what happened in space. When someone starts sending Vivian messages—messages she believes only Joe could send—she begins to wonder if their love is stronger than space and time, and she’ll do whatever it takes to bring her husband back to her. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

This is my first Chanel Cleeton novel and I have already looked into her whole blacklist and my next read by her! If you have a favorite, please share!

When I read the synopsis of this one I couldn’t wait to get my hand on it and I was not disappointed!  

I absolutely devoured the combination of romance and historical fiction with a little splash of science fiction, and really, really enjoyed all the knowledge that I gained about the space program and race of the 1960s.  You also get a dual timeline where you get to follow along as Vivian and Joe get to know one another and flash forward to what is happening in their relationship in the future. 

I enjoyed the deeper themes of eternal love, the cost of being an astronaut's wife, and how friendship can really ground us.  I found many of the side characters really added to the story and I could not get to the end to find out what happens fast enough.

Thanks to Penguin Random House audio, I was able to read with my ears for this one and Kelli Tager and Barton Caplan narrated the book beautifully.

If you are a fan of the movie Interstellar, I really think you are going to enjoy this one!

Thanks to Berkley for the book in exchange for an honest review. Purchase An Infinite Love Story here.

More by Chanel Cleeton:
The Lost Story of Eva Fuentes
The Cuban Heiress
The House on Biscayne Bay

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