Book Review and Giveaway: Tangled Lives

By Kathryn Hamilton

**Giveaway is now closed**

Imagine finding out that you are pregnant after a one-night stand in the 1960s. Now imagine being presented with an opportunity to reunite many years later. This is the situation Annie Delancey finds herself in after discovering she is pregnant at 19 and makes the decision to give her son up for adoption. Thirty-odd years later, married with three adult children, Annie receives a letter telling her that her first-born is seeking her out. Once the decision is made to meet, no one could ever imagine the impact it has on all involved.

Hilary Boyd has received tremendous praise for her storytelling ability. She is incredibly adept at creating a real human story with believable characters. She has a writing style that lends itself to making readers feel as though they are watching a snapshot of the characters at a specific moment in their lives. Ms. Boyd’s sophomore novel, Tangled Lives, is a beautifully crafted story that flows effortlessly from page to page. It has been said that Ms. Boyd is a master of observation and she demonstrates this in the ways each character responds to the appearance of Daniel into their lives.

Annie is a strong female character and readers will want things to work out for her. She is a woman who loves deeply, has honest intentions, and carries a lot of guilt. I tried to put myself into the shoes of her family, but I found myself incredibly frustrated with their behaviour. Ms. Boyd does a fantastic job of letting her characters be who they are, flaws and all. Especially with a topic as emotionally charged as adoption, an author must be respectful. Annie is able to explain her side of the story without judgment.

At the heart of this novel is a story about family and how messy things can become when an unexpected event occurs. Ms. Boyd tells an honest story with genuine emotions of happiness, fear, suspicion, jealousy, forgiveness and love. As a precaution, this may be a trigger for anyone who has been involved in an adoption, whether it is as a parent or child. I look forward to reading more from Ms. Boyd in the future and I know that the chick lit world is better for having her in it.

Thanks to Rock Star PR & Literary Consulting for the book in exchange for an honest review. They also have one copy available for a lucky reader anywhere in the world! (Print available for US/Canada, e-book is worldwide.)

How to win:
Please tell us something unexpected that has happened to you recently (it can be something positive though and doesn't have to be epic. :) )

One entry per person.

Entries without contact information (e-mail address, Twitter account, Facebook page, etc.) will NOT be counted (and we do NOT count "Google +" as contact information).

Open worldwide (print version available to US/Canada). Giveaway ends August 6th at midnight EST.