Book Review: Sounds of Summer

By Sara Steven

Ramona is ready to shake up Seaside, Oregon, with her all-'90s morning show. But her retro vibes clash hard with Quinn, the station's seriously uptight (and seriously attractive) manager. He's obsessed with "consistency," she's all about breaking the mold, and their battles over the playlist are legendary.

But beneath the surface, a bigger threat looms. A powerful corporation is circling, ready to swallow up their beloved local station and replace it with a cookie-cutter format. And this media giant plays dirty, armed with slick tactics and deep pockets.

As the pressure mounts, Ramona and Quinn must find a way to work together, even as their undeniable attraction sparks a whole new kind of static. Can they save the station – and maybe even their hearts – before the music fades out for good? (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.)

There are so many fun things to love about Sounds of Summer! One of the biggest draws for me had been the location of where the story takes place. I’m from Oregon, and having been to Seaside several times growing up, I thought it was awesome to have Ramona’s and Quinn’s experiences take place in such a charming, small-town atmosphere. Then you have the radio show that they both work for. It offered up a more unique plotline that really worked with the nineties music that Ramona plays. But one of the biggest draws had been the intense connection between the two primary characters! It’s the classic love to hate, hate to love scenario that really worked for the both of them.

Ramona can’t stand how regimented Quinn can be. He doesn’t want her to play the music she wants to play, preferring to have her play from a list that is formulaic and devised, yet at the same time, Quinn is annoyed that Ramona never listens to what he wants. His methods are tried and true–why can’t she follow the rules? But as the chapters unfold, both characters begin to see that while Quinn is more disciplined, he has deep reasons as to why he has to see the local station succeed. And even though Ramona doesn’t follow any particular list of songs to be played, she has a method to her madness that seems to pay off, every time. Respect begins to form, which leads to deeper understanding.

But there are forces at play that are out of their control, with the powerful corporation worming its way into the radio station’s bases, without anyone even knowing it. How it’s discovered was pretty clever and what followed was pretty clever, too. I felt tied to seeing the survival of the fledgling station, with a lot of undertones that fed into the need to see something that is more mom and pop surviving a conglomerate’s obvious need to destroy and carry on, leaving in its path a devastating reality for the employees of the radio station.

Sounds of Summer provided a lot of tension between its two main characters, a plotline that included a well-played David vs. Goliath-type scenario with the radio station, and an ending that truly felt fitting for everything involved. It was a worthy five-star read!  

Thanks to Tracy Krimmer for the book in exchange for an honest review.

More by Tracy Krimmer:

All That Glitters

Something Just Like This

Dating for Decades

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Rachel J. Lithgow gets real (and really funny)...plus a book giveaway

We're pleased to have Rachel J. Lithgow at CLC today to talk about her book, My Year of Really Bad Dates. Melissa is excited to read this one soon as it sounds like it will be really interesting and entertaining. Thanks to BookSparks, we have one copy for a lucky reader!

Rachel J. Lithgow is a historian and museum professional with thirty years of experience running large cultural institutions. Her work and writing have appeared in dozens of publications around the world, including The New York Times, The Daily News, Time, The Advocate, The Jerusalem Post, The Huffington Post, The Los Angeles Times, The Times of Israel, eJP, The New York Observer, and the Buffalo News. Rachel has two children and splits her time between Long Beach, Long Island, and Hell’s Kitchen in New York City.

Visit Rachel at her website and on Instagram.

Synopsis:

After two life-shaking events, Rachel Lithgow leaves a thirty-year career to write full time and pursue a relationship with a man she recently met online. But then he announces he’s joining a cult and moving to Phoenix with a blonde real estate agent.

What follows is a year of terrible dates, a few great experiences, and a lot of pinot noir. This is the story of how Rachel learned that patterns can be changed, that asking for help is sometimes necessary, and that there’s only one way to repair her brokenness: by facing trauma and demons head-on. 

Through a unique mix of humor, self-deprecation, and gritty vulnerability, My Year of Really Bad Dates tackles divorce, dating, single motherhood, PTSD, grief, loss, and starting over in midlife.

"This book is an absolute delight. Rachel Lithgow is a master storyteller, and what a gift it is getting to be by her side as she navigates a midlife divorce and the ensuing attempt to find love and connection again . . ."

—Catherine Burns, former Artistic Director of The Moth

"From the opening sentence, I knew Rachel Lithgow is a hilarious new voice in women’s fiction. This book is part memoir, part life lessons, and part How-NOT-To instruction manual on love & dating. The stories of sex, heartache, love, betrayal, and ultimately hope will keep you laughing and crying, then laughing again. This is a MUST read!"

—Randi Mayem Singer, screenwriter of Mrs. Doubtfire

 

In one sentence, what was the road to publishing like for you? 
In a word? Rocky. But honestly, my brain is often ahead of everything else around me, so it makes sense that it felt rocky and long. The reality is that I left my job in 2021 to write full-time, and I've written 3 full manuscripts, got an agent, and am publishing my first book 4 years later, so though it feels rocky, it's not so bad in the grand scheme of the publishing game. I have learned a lot, however, and I'm very grateful to She Writes and the Stable Book Group for making an impossibly complicated industry manageable. 

What is a favorite compliment you have received on your writing? 
The nicest thing that I've been hearing is that the writing feels intimate, like sitting at a table with a cocktail or a coffee with a good friend. That was exactly what I was going for in tone, so I'm glad that people feel that when they read it.

If My Year of Really Bad Dates were made into a movie, which celebrity would you cast as yourself? 

Haha. I love this question! My ego wishes I were Scarlett Johansson, but the reality is that I'm much more a character actor than leading lady material. I am a huge fan of Debi Mazar; her attitude, her humor, her quick wit, and her vulnerability with toughness make her a better choice! Plus, she's gorgeous.

Which TV series are you currently binge watching? 

OMG, the Murdaugh Murders on Hulu. Patricia Arquette is magical, isn't she?

If we were to visit you right now, what are some places you'd take us to see? 
I would take you to LB Social, which makes the best cocktails in Long Beach and also the best food. Of course, to the beach with my puggle Dexter. He loves it so very much, and watching him run on the beach would bring even the coldest human a lot of joy.

What is something you are currently thankful for? 
That I don't only love my kids, but that I like them now that they are fully formed almost adults. 

Thanks to Rachel for chatting with us and to BookSparks for sharing her book with our readers.

How to win: Use Gleam to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. If you have trouble using Gleam on our blog, enter the giveaway here.

My Year of Really Bad Dates (1 print copy)

Giveaway ends November 18th at midnight EST.

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Book Review: The White Octopus Hotel

By Allyson Bales

“Have you travelled a long way?” she asked carefully..

A smile twitched at the corner of his mouth. “Well, yes,” he said slowly. “Yes, you could say that. But it was worth the wait.”

London, 2015. When reclusive art appraiser Eve Shaw shakes the hand of a silver-haired gentleman in her office, the warmth of his palm sends a spark through her.

His name is Max Everly—curiously, the same name as Eve’s favorite composer, born one hundred sixteen years prior. And she has the sudden feeling that she’s held his hand before . . . but where, and when?

The White Octopus Hotel, 1935. In this belle époque building high in the snowy mountains, Eve and a young Max wander the winding halls, lost in time.

Each of them has been through the trenches—Eve through a family accident and Max on the battlefields of the Great War—but for an impossible moment, love and healing are just a room away . . . if only they have the courage to step through the door. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

I don't know what I expected from this book but it DEFINITELY was not what I just read and I mean that in the BEST way.

When I read the synopsis of The White Octopus Hotel I was really excited to meet Max and Eve and journey to a magical hotel in the Swiss Alps.  This story not only transported me to one of my most favorite settings in a book but also introduced me to some amazing characters.  

I don't want to give too much away with this one.  Just know there is so much that happens in this story.  It contains mystery, time travel, a layered story that ebbs and flows pulling you in and spitting you out again, and dynamic characters that you will dearly miss when the story is over. 

I love that there was so much hope, love, and grief in this story.  I constantly felt like I could see myself in Eve's character and really can't wait for you to meet her.  She really explores making peace with some mistakes she has made and whether or not she can forgive herself for her past and I think we can all really relate to that.

Thank you so much to Penguin Random House Audio, I was able to do an immersive read of this one and really enjoyed Mei Mei MacLeod's narration. I enjoyed her voice very much and really felt she wonderfully brought this story to life.

This is definitely going to be a five-star read for me and a story that will live rent free in my head for some time to come.

Thanks to Random House for the book in exchange for an honest review.

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Book Review: Sisters of Fortune

By Melissa Amster

The Cohen sisters are at a crossroads. And not just because the obedient middle sister, Fortune, has secretly started to question her engagement and impending wedding, even as her family scrambles to prepare for the big day. Nina, the rebellious eldest sister, is single at twenty-six (and growing cobwebs by her community’s standards) when she runs into an old friend who offers her a chance to choose a different path. Meanwhile, Lucy, the youngest and a senior in high school, has started sneaking around with a charming older bachelor.

As Fortune inches ever closer to the chuppah, the sisters find themselves in a tug-of-war between tradition and modernity, reckoning with what their tight-knit community wants for them—and what they want for themselves.

Sisters of Fortune is a story about dating, ambition, and coming-of-age within an immigrant community whose affection is endearing, maddening, and never boring. This novel explores the roots that entwine our lives with the ones who love us best, the dreams we hold for our daughters, and the winding paths we take to our own happy endings. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

I am really glad I got a chance to read Sisters of Fortune! It was like Jewish comfort food for the soul. I enjoyed getting to know Fortune, Nina, and Lucy, Syrian Modern Orthodox sisters living in Brooklyn in the late '00s. Fortune (the middle sister) is about to get married but something doesn't feel right. Nina is judged for being 27 and not married, but she is finally doing something she wants. Lucy is almost out of high school and dating a 30 year-old doctor. He's wealthy though, so no one is complaining. There's a lot of parental involvement and opinions nudging their way into the sisters' lives and decisions they make for themselves. And there's also Sitto, their grandmother, who has a lot to say. 

I liked all the Jewish elements and learning new things about Sephardic foods and rituals. I was glad the story was split between the sisters so that we got each of their perspectives. The entire time, I felt like I was right there in the Cohen home hanging out with everyone in the family, and perhaps helping them cook or prepare for Shabbat and upcoming holidays.

I had a few minor concerns, but nothing that took away from my enjoyment. I noticed a time inconsistency at the beginning: They said it was Monday but suddenly it turned into Wednesday. Lucy's storyline didn't match with the synopsis, as it said she was sneaking around but she wasn't as everyone knew who she was seeing. Finally, it would have been helpful to have definitions in footnotes or more context for words and phrases that were not defined in the glossary. 

I really enjoyed this book and have been recommending it to my friends. The cultural aspect was interesting as I am only slightly familiar with Sephardic customs and foods (although I'm still not sure what knafeh is). The story was just edgy and relatable overall.

It was difficult to cast a movie version of this book, but it would be cool if one were made. I could only think of one idea, and that is Lainie Kazan for Sitto.

(Trigger warnings at the bottom of this post.)

Thanks to Random House for the book in exchange for an honest review.

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TW: Death of grandparent. Bodily functions mentioned often.

Book Review: Such Good People

By Melissa Amster

It’s 10 p.m. on a Thursday in the spring of her freshman year of college, and April is standing at the back of a crowded Manhattan bar waiting for her friend, Rudy, to arrive. Their eyes lock the moment he enters the room, and in an instant, lives and legacies are altered forever.

Within hours, Rudy is arrested. Within days, April is expelled. Within weeks, he’s incarcerated. And within months, she meets Peter, a prodigious young attorney who makes her world recognizable again.

Nearly fifteen years later, April is happily living in Chicago married to Peter, a mother of three with a fulfilling career and standing yoga date with her girlfriends. On the eve of Peter’s election for local office, Rudy is up for parole. Headlines explode about April’s past, jeopardizing Peter’s campaign and everything they hold dear.

 Suddenly, April is faced with an impossible choice: protecting the life she created, or the person who sacrificed everything to make that life a possibility. Such Good People is a captivating portrait of blurred lines, divided loyalties, and what it means to love purely, steadfastly, and interminably. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

I have been binge watching Drop Dead Diva for the past few months and it has me interested in what happens in a courtroom and how the law can work for or against someone. All I know is that Rudy DeFranco would have never seen the inside of a prison if he had Jane/Deb or any of the other lawyers from Harrison and Parker defending him.

In Amy Blumenfeld's sophomore novel, Such Good People, Rudy is given a raw deal in life, locked away for a homicide that was the result of an accident during a bar fight. The situation has a huge impact on his best friend April and a ripple effect on her life when he is released thirteen years later. Told from the perspectives of Rudy, April, April's husband, and a former college classmate, Such Good People looks at where people draw the line between right and wrong or innocent and guilty.

I loved this novel and can't stop thinking about it! It is just so captivating and well-written. It shows how easily people make judgements when they aren't given all the facts and how that can negatively impact people's lives. So many things made me angry on behalf of April and Rudy. I don't want to say too much as to not spoil anything. I just hated that Rudy didn't get a fair trial to begin with. There's a Cold Case feel to this story, as well. I liked the different perspectives and how the went back and forth in time. 

My only minor issue was grammatical in nature. While everyone's perspective was written in third person, there were times the characters would slip into first person. I don't know if this was by accident and was fixed for final publication. It didn't ruin how great this novel was, but it took me by surprise. It's about as jarring as when someone changes between past and present tense or the narrative switches without any section or chapter break.

I highly recommend checking this one out as soon as possible! It's such an important and worthwhile read. There's a lot of emotional impact, as well.

Amy's debut novel, The Cast (reviewed here), came out seven years ago. I hope she doesn't wait that long to release another novel!

(Trigger warnings at the bottom of this post.)

Movie casting suggestions (for the present timeline):

April: Elizabeth Lail

Rudy: Lorenzo James Henrie

Peter: Corey Sevier

Jillian: Erin Yvette

Tommy: David Henrie (I like the idea of brothers playing brothers)

Isla: Laura Marano

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

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TW: Incarceration. PTSD. Paparazzi. Bullying. Aging parents. Death of young adult.

R.L. Maizes completes us...plus a book giveaway

Photo by Steve Olshansky

Today we welcome R.L. Maizes to CLC to talk about her latest novel, A Complete Fiction. This novel sounds unique and fun and we're excited to talk with her about it. Thanks to Blankenship PR, we have TWO copies to give away!

R.L. Maizes is the author of Other People’s Pets, which won the 2021 Colorado Book Award for Fiction, and the story collection We Love Anderson Cooper. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, O Magazine, McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, and Electric Literature, and has aired on NPR. A Virginia Center for the Creative Arts Fellow, she’s currently supported by a 2024–2025 Fellowship Grant from the Memorial Foundation for Jewish Culture. 

Maizes lives in Boulder County, Colorado, with her husband, their dog Rosie—who still can’t believe how nice the weather is—and the ghost of their cat, Arie. Visit her at her website and on Instagram.

Synopsis:

With little evidence, would-be author P.J. Larkin serves a "nibble" on the trendy new social-media app Crave, accusing editor George Dunn of stealing the novel she submitted to him for publication.

The nibble shoots to the top of the site's Popular Menu Items and before you can say "unpaid literary labor," George is embroiled in a scandal, his job and book deal in jeopardy. P.J.’s novel is snapped up amid the publicity, but has she revealed her sister Mia’s secrets in the book? Some diners on Crave think so, and now it’s P.J.’s turn to feel the public’s scorn.

Told in the humorous vein of Where'd You Go Bernadette?, A Complete Fiction examines the very serious questions of who has a right to tell a story, and has cancel culture gone too far in our social media-drenched world? (Courtesy of Amazon.)

"R.L. Maizes has written a smart, compelling novel about publishing and its perils, families and friendships and their limitations, and storytelling itself, in all its wondrous messy glory."

—Laurie Frankel, author of This Is How It Always Is

"We follow P.J. as she longs to publish a first novel and George, an editor, who turned her down for writing a book that he may or may not have plagiarized from her. Rooting for both with laugh out loud moments, I raced to the conclusion to find out how it would end." 

—Bethany Ball, author of What to do About the Solomons

"A Complete Fiction checks all of the boxes for an incredible read that sits at the intersection of cancel culture and #metoo. It's packed full of contemporary anxiety, it's hilarious in moments, and it's a page-turner where readers will get a true joy out of being a fly on the wall to the conversations between characters." 

—Wendy J. Fox, author of If the Ice Had Held

What is a favorite compliment you have received on your writing?
A national book club organizer told me they dreamed about my novel A Complete Fiction. It’s an honor to enter someone’s psyche that deeply. A writer recently said they thought of me while stirring Medjool dates into oatmeal. In Other People’s Pets, my debut novel, a man makes that precise oatmeal for his sick partner. It’s the greatest compliment to me when someone is thinking about my book years later and taking a compassionate action that mirrors one in the book. Of course, it’s not all compliments. At the second author talk I gave for the new novel, a reader wondered who came up with the “terrible” title A Complete Fiction. As it happens, I did. 

If you could tell the debut novelist version of yourself one thing, what would it be? 
Savor each success. You don’t need a review in The New York Times to feel fulfilled as a writer. You don’t need your book to be a number-one bestseller, though that would be nice. What matters is that the book reaches the people it’s supposed to reach, that it speaks to those readers and sticks with them. Take time to appreciate each of those wins. 

If A Complete Fiction were made into a movie, who would you cast in the leading roles? 
🤞🤞🤞 In the movie version, which is definitely going to be made, at least in my highly fertile imagination, Kiera Knightley plays P.J. and Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays George.

How would you describe your relationship with social media? 
I’m horribly addicted. I’m checking-during-commercial-breaks-while-on-the-throne addicted. I had tempered my use of social media while writing A Complete Fiction, but now I’m promoting the novel and social media is a good way to reach readers. Unfortunately, it has completely sucked me back in. Which is ironic since the book satirizes social media. I hope after this period of intense book promotion to cut back again, or at least to keep it out of the bathroom. It’s best not to be around cameras when in compromising positions.

If your life was a TV series, which celebrity would you want to narrate it?
Any ET broadcaster. That way people would be fooled into thinking I’m way more famous than I am. 

If we were to visit you right now, what are some places you would take us to see? 
I’d show you some great Colorado hiking trails. Fall is a beautiful time to take a walk in the woods here. We’d also visit the pedestrian mall in Boulder to see the buskers: fire eaters, jugglers, musicians, and writers who will pen a poem for you. When we got sufficiently tired, we’d find a café and people-watch while drinking craft beer and eating truffle fries.

Thanks to R.L. Maizes for visiting with us and to Blankenship for sharing her book with our readers.

How to win: Use Gleam to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. If you have trouble using Gleam on our blog, enter the giveaway here.

A Complete Fiction (2 print copies)

Giveaway ends November 11th at midnight EST.

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Book Review: Royally Off-Limits

By Sara Steven

I called him Ledonia’s most eligible man-child in a headline. Now I'm living at his palace.

After my no-holds-barred exposé on Prince Maximilien goes viral, the royal family doesn’t banish me—they hire me. Apparently, the King and Queen think damage control looks like me filming an exclusive behind-the-scenes series on their charming, cocky, scandal-prone son.

Prince Max isn’t thrilled. In fact, he downright despises me. Which is fine. Because the feeling? Entirely mutual.

But the thing is, I didn’t expect him to be smarter, deeper, and somehow even hotter in royal pajamas. And I definitely didn’t expect to start falling for a man I’ve built a career out of publicly roasting.
There’s just one problem: He has no idea who I really am. (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.)

In all of the Royally Kissed books within this series, Fabiana Fontaine is the end all be all voice on all matters that involve the royal family. In fact, the majority of the chapters begin with quick snippets of her skilled insight, with no one knowing how she has figured out the ins and outs, and what goes on behind the scenes. She’s the most unlikely character to highlight on, particularly because she’s mostly been seen as a background personality, but bringing her more into focus and getting to know more about her and why she’s so vocal about the royal family really worked well! 

We learn that there is so much more behind Fabiana’s reasons for becoming a royal correspondent. When she’s tasked with working with Max, the royal’s youngest son, she figures it will be easy to keep her deepest secrets to herself in the process. She’ll go in, do the documentary, then leave. No harm done. But she discovers that there is also more to Max than she’d ever imagined, and maybe he’s not as much of a man-child as she once perceived him to be. The more he gives her a different side to him, the more she fears losing control of the carefully constructed persona she’s made for herself. One wrong move could mean the end of her career–or worse.

Reading about Fabiana really gave me a different perspective of her. Sometimes while reading this series, I’d wonder who she was and would at times think, “Who does she think she is?” I could understand the tension and annoyance that the royal family would feel towards Fabiana, feeling as though she’d often highlight the negative aspects, or as Fabiana calls it, “warts and all.” Yet, knowing her background, it makes perfect sense, not to mention how dedicated she is to her work. She doesn’t sugarcoat anything, preferring to give the truth, no matter how it looks.

Max appreciates Fabiana, but will he appreciate who she is once he learns who she really is? It gives Fabiana the chance to finally be who she is, warts and all, at risk of allowing someone to love her without the secrets. Royally Off-Limits is really the best addition to the series, an opposites-attract redemption experience–a definite five-star read! 

Thanks to Kate O'Keeffe for the book in exchange for an honest review.

More by Kate O'Keeffe (Royally Kissed series):

The Backup Princess

Royally Matched

The Royal Runaway

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Jamie Brenner crafts a new tale...plus a book giveaway

Photo by Kevin Peragine

We're pleased to have Jamie Brenner back at CLC today to celebrate the publication of her latest novel, The Weekend Crashers! Melissa recently read and enjoyed this novel and will be reviewing soon. Check out her Bookstagram post in the meantime. We had fun chatting with Jamie and wish her loads of success with this sweet and cozy novel. Thanks to Harlequin, we have one copy for a lucky reader!

Jamie Brenner is the USA TODAY bestselling author of The Forever Summer, The Wedding Sisters, Gilt, and more. Jamie grew up reading the scandalous heroines of Jackie Collins, the gothic horror of Anne Rice, and the family drama of Anne Rivers Siddons. Her dream novel combines all three. 

After raising two daughters in New York City, Jamie now lives in Bucks County, PA -- the inspiration for THE WEEKEND CRASHERS. (Bio adapted from Jamie's website.)

Visit Jamie at her website and on Instagram.

Synopsis:

Maggie Hodges and her daughter Piper are looking forward to a restful knitting retreat in the picturesque village of New Hope, Pennsylvania. But instead, they are surprised to find themselves sharing their charming riverside inn with a rowdy bushcraft bachelor party. Undaunted by the clash of interests and personalities, Maggie suggests a lighthearted competition—a battle of crafts—that sparks a rivalry between the two groups, and perhaps something more. But as the weekend unfolds, old mistakes and buried resentments begin to surface, threatening to destroy Maggie and Piper’s cherished connection.

In knitting, one can easily fix mistakes by picking apart each stitch and starting anew. But life’s tangles aren’t so easily mended. With tensions rising and the retreat coming to a close, Maggie must act quickly before she loses everything she holds dear. Can she repair what’s been broken before everything unravels? (Courtesy of Amazon.)

"The Weekend Crashers is a delightful and heartwarming story of a mother-daughter trip that veers wildly off course. Maggie and Piper's knitting retreat at the charming New Hope Inn comes with an unexpected bachelor party, hot toddies galore, and a whole lot of yarn, leaving both women with a mess to untangle. A truly wonderful fall read!"

—Amy Poeppel, author of Far and Away

What is one thing you would tell the debut novelist version of yourself?
I would tell her how much the industry is going to change over the decade, how the entire paradigm for marketing and promotion would shift.

Which of your main characters do you relate to more, Maggie or Piper?
I relate more to Maggie because she’s experiencing the life transition of a grown child leaving the nest and I went through the same thing with my daughters.

If The Weekend Crashers was made into a movie, which songs would be on the soundtrack?
Choosing today I’d have to say Sombr’s album “I Hardly Know Her.”

Have you ever knit something and if so, what was it? If not, has anyone ever knit something for you?
I knit every day. Two years ago a reader send me a hand-crochet book sleeve and I loved it so much I bought more to give away with pre-orders of The Weekend Crashers!

What is the last book you read that you would recommend?
I just finished Workhorse by Caroline Palmer and I’m obsessed.

If your life was a TV series, which celebrity would you want to narrate it? 
I’d want Dame Maggie Smith but sadly that’s not going to happen.

Thanks to Jamie for visiting with us and to Harlequin for sharing her book with our readers.

How to win: Use Gleam to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. If you have trouble using Gleam on our blog, enter the giveaway here.

The Weekend Crashers (1 print copy)

Giveaway ends November 9th at midnight EST.

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Book Review: Isabella's Not Dead

By Sara Steven

Isabella’s NOT dead.

That’s what Gwen tells anyone who asks about the best friend who ghosted them all fifteen years ago. But if Isabella’s not dead, then where is she? And why did she leave, just when Gwen needed her most?

Freshly fifty-three, out of a job and with children who no longer need her, Gwen decides to find out. Setting out to solve the mystery, Gwen embarks on an adventure across the country then across Europe that will test her friendships and her marriage, putting her on a collision course with reluctant acquaintances, a mother-in-law best described as eccentric, and a rabbit hole full of clues.

But Isabella’s not the only one who’s lost.

A tale of deep, frayed friendship, fractured memories, and skewed perspective, Isabella’s Not Dead is the story of one woman’s quest to reclaim her best friend, and herself. (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.)

Isabella’s Not Dead took a strange twisty turn about midway through the book that I didn’t see coming. And it was a fantastic way to incorporate a little mystery and suspense into the story. When Gwen’s friends from school gather together for a girls’ reunion trip, notably absent is Isabella, someone Gwen used to consider as her ride or die. There are a lot of guilty feelings on Gwen’s part, because she admittedly dropped the ball in trying to reconnect with her best friend over the years, citing just how quickly life got in the way for her. On the one hand, it appears as though Isabella doesn’t want to be found. But from another perspective, Gwen has dropped the ball in a lot of areas of her life, prompting her to find her missing friend.

I thought it was interesting how the journey Gwen takes in finding Isabella ends up being the way that Gwen ultimately finds herself again. Usually, Gwen puts herself in the backseat, preferring to make everyone else a priority. But despite the questions and lack of support she gets from mostly everyone when she tells them she’s trying to find her missing friend, she stays the course, bringing back the old Gwen, the one she remembers flourished when in her friendship with Isabella. 

Of course, my ultimate need stemmed from knowing whether Isabella really was to be found. That’s when things got really exciting. In order to know the answer to that, Gwen has to reconnect with some people that she remembers from the past, but hasn’t seen in years. I thought the way everything played out was very witty and smartly done. I also appreciated when certain answers became revealed–there were psychological thriller vibes involved and I was there for it! 

Overall, the friendship aspect was the best, particularly in moments when Gwen needs all the help she can get, not knowing just how much her friends will be there for her, from start to finish. It was a great five-star experience!

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

More by Beth Morrey:

The Love Story of Missy Carmichael

Clover Hendry's Day Off

Delphine Jones Takes a Chance

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What's in the (e)mail

All (or most) of these books can be found on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, Apple, Kobo, etc.

NG = NetGalley

Melissa:
Life: A Love Story by Elizabeth Berg from Random House (NG)
George Falls Through Time by Ryan Collett from William Morrow (NG)
Chasing the Clouds Away by Debbie Macomber from Ballantine (NG)
Paradise by Julie Cohen from Orion (NG)
The Messy Years by Alexandra Slater from Hudson House Press (NG)

Stranger Things Have Happened by Kasie West from St. Martin's Press (NG)

Never Over by Clare Gilmore from St. Martin's Press (NG)

Whispers of Ink and Starlight by Garrett Curbow from Lake Union (NG)

Waiting on a Friend by Natalie Adler from Random House (NG)

That's What Friends Are For by Wade Rouse from Harlequin (NG)

Twenty Something Else by Stephanie Mack from Tyndale House (NG)

Sara:

In Bloom by Liz Allan from Simon & Schuster (NG)

Royally Off-Limits by/from Kate O'Keeffe (ebook)

Jami:
Pinky Swear by Danielle Girard from Atria (NG)
Enormous Wings by Laurie Frankel from Henry Holt (NG)

The Take by Kelly Yang from Berkley (NG)

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Book Review: Jilted

By Melissa Amster

After getting ditched at the altar, every “I do” makes me want to scream.

Which is a problem, considering I’m an associate editor at Bride magazine.

Just when I thought my job couldn’t get any worse, I got roped into being a last-minute bridesmaid... and paired with Wilder Hayes.

Gorgeous, smug, and maddening. Cue the bickering, the sparks, and one very unexpected coat closet moment.

Not my finest hour… or was it? Because that kiss? Easily the hottest thing I’ve ever experienced.
At least I’ll never have to see him again.

Until Monday rolls around, and—surprise!—he’s my boss’s son and my new work shadow for the season.

It's a match made in heaven...or hell. Only time will tell. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

Jilted is my first Vi Keeland experience and I really enjoyed it! Sloane and Wilder were interesting characters and I loved their chemistry. The story had a Pretty Woman feel at times. There was even an armchair adventure involved. Plus, lots of open door heat! 🔥🔥🔥

I am glad we had both Sloane and Wilder's perspectives and I enjoyed getting to know both of them throughout the novel. I liked that Sloane had diabetes as the story brought more awareness to what is involved when someone has it. 

I felt like things came too easy with Wilder being so rich. Like he could just throw money at any problem and everything would be fine. This was my only concern and it didn't take away from my enjoyment. 

Overall, it was a romantic and entertaining page-turner and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys rom-coms. 

(Trigger warnings at the bottom of this post.)

Movie casting suggestions:
Wilder: Fabien Frankel
Sloane: Jocelyn Hudon
Elijah: Bowen Yang
Will: Joe Keery
Harry: Timothy Hutton

Thanks to Tor Publishing Group for the book in exchange for an honest review.

More by Vi Keeland:

Something Borrowed, Something You

The Invitation

Indiscretion

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TW: Medical incident from diabetes, infidelity, death of mother (off page), Parkinsons

Margaux Eliot takes the stage

Today we are pleased to welcome Margaux Eliot to CLC. Her latest novel, Honeymoon Stage, takes place in the early 2000s and sounds like an entertaining rom-com! We hope you will enjoy learning more about it and getting to know Margaux, as much as we did.

Margaux Eliot is excited to give early aughts pop culture its due. Writing as Julia Fine, she is also the author of speculative novels The Upstairs House, What Should Be Wild, and Maddalena and the Dark. She lives in Chicago with her family.

Visit Margaux online:

Website * Facebook * Instagram

Synopsis:

It’s the night before her wedding, and Cassidy Baum isn’t sure she wants to get married…Or maybe she just doesn’t want to get married on set, surrounded by cameras and crew, with the crushing weight of everyone watching. 

As a production assistant, Cassidy’s used to being behind the camera, not in front of it. But her fiancé is a former child star and musician, and their wedding makes the perfect spin-off for Honeymoon Stage, the groundbreaking celebreality show she once worked on. 

Five years ago, the show fell apart―for dramatic reasons Cassidy is still struggling to understand. Now, Cassidy is forced to reckon with what happened on set to search out the truth once and for all before her wedding is broadcast to the world. 

Rumors, lies, and suspicions come rushing back. And if Cassidy can’t figure out a way to make sense of the past, her own happily ever after may not be so happy after all.

“Delightfully wicked and subversively romantic, Honeymoon Stage deftly cuts through all the grit and glitter of reality television to reveal a whip-smart young woman who finds not only love, but the power of her own voice. A total lollipop of a novel with a hidden tender heart—I’d eat it for dessert if I could.” 

—Amy Jo Burns, author of Mercury

“This smart, skillfully plotted novel has teeth, and it bites back at all the infuriating expectations women face whether we’re on reality TV or just trying to live our real lives.” 

—Layne Fargo, USA Today bestselling author of The Favorites

“I binged this novel faster than the juiciest season of reality TV. Honeymoon Stage feels like watching your favorite show while texting your brilliant, hilarious friend. A love story laced with celebrity secrets and high-stakes intrigue, you won’t be able to stop pressing next episode.”

—Avery Carpenter Forrey, author of Social Engagement

What is a favorite compliment you've received on your writing? 
Whenever an obscure joke that I am particularly tickled by makes somebody laugh.

How is Cassidy similar to or different from you? 
She’s much lower maintenance than I am. Cassidy is pretty good at going with the flow, and she’s happy in the background, which makes her a perfect production assistant. I’m not sure I’d be willing to pay my dues the way that she does. 

If Honeymoon Stage were made into a movie, who would you cast in the leading roles? 
Rachel Zegler as Cassidy, Austin Butler as Gabe, Sabrina Carpenter as Maggie, Zac Efron as Jason 

What is the last book you read that you would recommend? 

Meet Me at the Crossroads by Megan Giddings

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

If we were to visit you in Chicago, what are some places you would take us to see? 
The 606, Jackson Park, Montrose Bird Sanctuary, the Art Institute, Lula Café 

Thanks to Margaux for chatting with us and Kaye Publicity for coordinating the interview.

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Book Review: The California Dreamers

By Melissa Amster

It’s 1980s California, and everyone’s dreaming of the endless summer: sun-drenched beaches, infinite waves, and most of all, beautiful, beautiful freedom. For the Merrick siblings, this idyllic vision is their reality, as they travel up and down the coast with their parents in a van year-round, surfing and swimming their days away. But when a photographer secretly snaps a stunning photo of the family with their boards in the sand, and the image ripples across the country, the only life they’ve ever known is put at risk.

Decades after, the now-distant siblings gather on a gorgeous, wild island to honor their late father. But their reunion is complicated when a journalist, eager for the truth behind the famous photo, discovers their identity and tracks them down. As the siblings reckon with the possibility that more of their lives could be shared, a revelation about their past forces them to confront long-held heartaches. Together, they’ll have to decide whether to let the same tensions rip them apart again—or if telling their story on their own terms might just be the way to recapture the family magic. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

I have read all of Amy Mason Doan's novels. She's known for presenting idyllic summer memories ranging from the 1970s to the 1990s. In her latest novel, The California Dreamers, she does this as well. Going back and forth between the 1980s and early 2000s, Amy weaves a captivating story about a family living off the grid and surfing whenever possible. 

This novel had a unique premise and I appreciated that. It almost brought me back to when I would read The Boxcar Children when I was growing up. I felt like I was at the beach with Ronan and her unconventional family. The descriptions really brought the story to life and the narrative kept me captivated the entire time. 

I could see why Ronan's reason for leaving was so difficult in terms of how it affected her family and I liked how everything was slowly revealed, like a package being opened a little bit at a time while getting to peek inside every so often. 

I only had a couple concerns. The first was that the timing was inconsistent. Since this was an advanced copy, I can only hope that was fixed for the final publication. Also, I didn't understand the surf terminology. It would have been helpful to have a glossary or images. 

The California Dreamers is definitely worth checking out for an interesting read! Now that summer's over, it's a great way to recapture the feeling. This novel is perfect for fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid, Karma Brown, and Jessica Strawser.

(Trigger warnings at the bottom of this post.)

Movie casting suggestions (focusing on the 2002 timeline as it is easier to cast adults):
Ronan: Maika Monroe 
Griff: Cole Sprouse
Mag: Dylan Sprouse
Dyl: Charlie Tahan
Mama: Marley Shelton
Pauline: Gillian Jacobs

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

More by Amy Mason Doan:
Lady Sunshine
Summer Hours
The Summer List

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TW: Parental neglect, poverty, physical violence (off page), death of parent

Spotlight and Giveaway: Anne of Avenue A

Today we are excited to celebrate the publication of Anne of Avenue A, the latest rom-com in the For the Love of Austen standalone series by Audrey Belleza and Emily Harding. It sounds like the perfect winter romance and the cover enhances the feel of the synopsis. Thanks to Gallery, we have THREE copies up for grabs!

Eight years ago, Anne Elliot broke Freddie Wentworth’s heart when she refused to give up her five-year plan for the sake of adventure. But despite big dreams, Anne, now thirty, is still living at home with hardly a plan in sight. Anne tries to be optimistic—she knows better than anyone that regret will get you nowhere—but that goes out the window when, thanks to her father’s bad spending habits, her childhood apartment is rented out to the very man still living in her head rent-free.

Freddie Wentworth never thought he would see Anne Elliot again after she dumped him for accepting a job overseas. He spent years trying to forget her, and he’s been mostly successful. So when a job opportunity takes him back to New York, he’s shocked to find out that Anne is not only his new neighbor, but also the former resident of his new Greenwich Village penthouse.

Nearly a decade after Anne and Freddie’s fateful romance, the only thing they still have in common is a desire to leave their relationship firmly in the past. But between a disastrous off-Broadway show and a drunken Thanksgiving dinner, nosey neighbors, and flirtatious friends, Anne and Freddie suddenly find their lives more intertwined than ever before. When old feelings start rising to the surface, they must decide whether to put their hearts on the line or walk away all over again. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

"This charming and swoon-worthy second chance romance brings Jane Austen’s Persuasion to modern day New York in a delightfully tender and nostalgic journey which will have Austenites and fans of contemporary romance alike devouring the pages."
—Zoe Allison, author of The Ex-Mas Holiday

"Anne of Avenue A is a cozy holiday Persuasion retelling that every Austenite is sure to love (most ardently). With tender storytelling, wry humor, and the magic of winter in New York, Anne and Freddie’s story is a heartfelt celebration of second chances that will have you rooting for their love from page one."
—Victoria Lavine, internationally bestselling author of Any Trope but You

"Harding and Bellezza deliver yet again with this wonderful, modern-day Persuasion. Using their trademark wit and charm, Anne of Avenue A will have you kicking your feet and giggling from beginning to end."
—Alexa Martin, USA Today bestselling author of How to Sell a Romance

Emily (L) and Audrey (R); credit: Monika Normand

Audrey Bellezza is a two-time Emmy Award–nominated TV producer who has spent over twenty years writing, developing, and executive producing nonfiction television shows for a number of networks and streaming platforms. Audrey lives in New Jersey with her husband and two children. Visit Audrey on Instagram.

Emily Harding is one-half of the writing duo behind the For the Love of Austen series, including Emma of 83rd Street and Elizabeth of East Hampton. She is a graduate of Emerson College with degrees in both creative writing and film. After working over fifteen years in television development and production, she found her way back to writing. Emily lives in Dallas with her husband, two children, and an incredibly spoiled Texas heeler. Visit Emily on Instagram.

Visit Audrey and Emily at their website and on their joint Instagram page.

How to win: Use Gleam to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. If you have trouble using Gleam on our blog, enter the giveaway here.

Anne of Avenue A (3 print copies)

Giveaway ends November 2nd at midnight EST.

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Book Review: The Kidnapping of Alice Ingold

By Jami Denison

Late last year, the country was riveted and horrified by the assassination of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Just as shocking was the reception his alleged killer received, with many regarding Luigi Mangione a hero. With the price of health insurance soaring along with the number of denials, the murder raised the question of when do the ends justify the means? Indeed, UHC members reported a higher level of acceptances immediately after the killing. 

This is the premise underlying Cate Holahan’s latest thriller, The Kidnapping of Alice Ingold. Alice is the uber privileged college-aged daughter of shipping heiress Catherine and AI billionaire Brian. Her kidnappers aren’t after money—they want the world to know about the danger that AI poses, and they’re releasing riddles to spread the word about Brian’s plans. But does Alice deserve to be the victim? How far is too far?

Kidnapping reads like Gone Girl as if Michael Crichton wrote it. Told from two points-of-view—Catherine’s and Alice’s diary—Holahan naturally weaves in the capabilities and possibilities of Brian’s AI company. Two different camps of thought become clear: Brian’s, who believes in the benefits offered if AI runs everything, and the kidnappers, who worry about jobs ending, economies collapsing, and wars run by drones. Catherine is caught in between: She desperately worries about her daughter, but as she watches how Brian handles the kidnappers’ demands, she begins to worry that her husband doesn’t care about anything but the future of his precious company. 

Catherine may be an heiress and a billionaire’s wife, but she’s a mother first, and a character who is easy to identify with despite her wealth. In her diary, Alice comes across equally well. Raised in privilege, she never saw herself as better than others, and has rented an apartment in a sketchy neighborhood near Berkeley to stand on her own two feet. Although she’s initially frozen in fear when the kidnapper attacks her, eventually she fights back valiantly, describing several episodes in which she attempted to gain her freedom. She also uses her diary to describe her relationship with Brian, a man who ignored her in favor of building his company, and even humiliated her when she objected to his vision of the future of AI. 

As Alice’s kidnappers clue her in on their objections, their heart-felt worries about the future have the reader wondering if Alice will fall victim to Stockholm Syndrome. Then Holahan starts pulling out the twists, and the ride gets even better.

As a writer myself, I’m particularly concerned about how AI might further disrupt publishing, an industry already dominated by a few and extremely difficult to break into. The thought of how AI might leave everyone jobless is absolutely chilling. I began reading The Kidnapping of Alice Ingold afraid for Alice’s future. I ended it afraid for everyone’s. 

Thanks to MB Communications for the book in exchange for an honest review. It is available for FREE for Prime members and $1.99 otherwise through Friday from Amazon First Reads.

More by Cate Holahan:

Lies She Told

One Little Secret

The Widower's Wife

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