Friday, February 7, 2025

What's in the (e)mail

All (or most) of these books can be found on AmazonBarnes & NobleBookshop.orgAppleKobo, etc.

NG = NetGalley

Melissa:

The Master Jeweler by Weina Dai Randel from Lake Union (NG)
The Harvey Girls by Juliette Fay from Gallery (NG)
Dear Sister by Michelle Horton from Grand Central (print)
Claire Casey's Had Enough by Liz Alterman from Severn House (NG)
The Baby Exchange by/from Hannah Parry (NG)
The Dogs of Venice
by Steven Rowley from Putnam (NG)
Love at First Sight by Laura Jane Williams from Putnam (NG)
Lie in the Tide by Holly Danvers from Severn House (NG)
You Must Be New Here by Katie Sise from Little A (NG)
Jill is Not Happy by Kaira Rouda from MB Communications (print)
I Love You S'more
by Auriane Desombre from Random House (NG)
Shopgirls by Jessica Anya Blau from Mariner (NG)
Everything Is Probably Fine by Julia London from Harper Muse (NG)
One in a Million by Beverley Kendall from Harlequin (print)

Sara:
The Dinner Party by Nina Manning from Rachel's Random Resources (NG)
We Don't Talk About Carol by Kristen L. Berry from Random House (ebook)

Allyson:
The Library of Lost Dollhouses by Elise Hooper from William Morrow (print)

Melissa S: 
The Summer You Were Mine by Jill Francis from St. Martin's Press (print)




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Book Review: This is a Love Story

By Allyson Bales

For fifty years, Abe and Jane have been coming to Central Park, as starry-eyed young lovers, as frustrated and exhausted parents, as artists watching their careers take flight. They came alone when they needed to get away from each other, and together when they had something important to discuss. The Park has been their witness for half a century of love. Until now.

Jane is dying, and Abe is recounting their life together as a way of keeping them going: the parts they knew—their courtship and early marriage, their blossoming creative lives—and the parts they didn’t always want to know—the determined young student of Abe’s looking for a love story of her own, and their son, Max, who believes his mother chose art over parenthood, and who has avoided love and intimacy at all costs. Told in various points of view, even in conversation with Central Park, these voices weave in and out to paint a portrait as complicated and essential as love itself.

An homage to New York City, to romance, and even to loss, This Is a Love Story tenderly and suspensefully captures deep truths about life and marriage in radiant prose. It is about love that endures despite what life throws at us, or perhaps even because of it. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

What I thought I was getting with this story ended up being COMPLETELY different, but in the BEST way possible!

I don't know about you but I go into so many books completely blind, often based on cover, title, or favorite author alone.  I love to be surprised by the plot, the characters, and the feelings that are evoked from a thoughtful story.  

I am a character-driven reader.  I LOVE characters and what they feel and think and do and why and why not and this story had all of that.  I also love to read stories that leave an imprint, that make me think, and that make me grateful, and Abe and Jane did just that.  If you think this is a romance, it is, in my opinion, but it is also not, and you just need to read it to understand that. 

This is my first read by Jessica Soffer and her writing is very unique.  It is lyrical and soulful.  I found myself highlighting so much of this story.  I loved the way it was told.  I loved that you get multiple perspectives including that of Central Park in New York City.  I am a Jersey girl and have never been to Central Park.  Not sure what I have been doing with my life but I will DEFINITELY be visiting now!  I love all the little facts I learned about the park.  It is probably one of the more interesting characters I have met in a book. 

I really, really don’t want to give anything away.  Just know that this story will be one you are going to remember for some time to come.  It will be one that will make you think, make you feel, make you reflect.  It is one that I highly recommend. 

Thanks to Dutton for the book in exchange for an honest review. Purchase This is a Love Story here.

Also by Jessica Soffer: Tomorrow There Will Be Apricots

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Thursday, February 6, 2025

Making a connection with Jennifer Lucic...plus a book giveaway

We are pleased to welcome Jennifer Lucic to CLC today, to talk about her latest, and most personal novel, Pink Clay. She wrote it to honor the memory of a friend who lost her life to breast cancer. It sounds like a heartfelt and touching story and makes us think of Promises to Keep by Jane Green. We enjoyed chatting with Jennifer and seeing her answers to our questions. Jennifer has THREE print copies to give away!

Writing dark truths with a side of sarcasm, Jennifer Lucic is an author of Women’s contemporary fiction—deep cuts guaranteed, and entirely intentional. 

Featured on Reedsy, Goodreads, and others who tolerate her style. 

Award-winning screenplays mean she must be doing something right. 

Jennifer Lucic’s stories are unflinching, and she’s looking for readers who are too. (Bio courtesy of Jennifer's website.)

Visit Jennifer online:
Website * Facebook * Instagram * TikTok

Synopsis:
With champagne and caviar, twenty-five-year-old Emily glitters through society, her life a kaleidoscope of luxury afforded to her by birthright as a coffee company heiress. But beneath the Hermès, lurks a gnawing emptiness, one mirrored in the mammogram that shatters her perfect world.

Scrambling to make ends meet, twenty-seven-year-old Sarah knows struggle like the worn groves in her clay-stained sneakers. A single mother, balancing a side hustle as a ceramic artist and a son’s laughter, she never expected the blow that would leave them both reeling—a diagnosis they can’t afford to face.

Thrown together by fate, or a shared oncology ward, their backgrounds couldn’t be more different. Yet, in the stark reality of chemo cocktails and stolen tears, a bond blossoms. Emily and Sarah navigate the labyrinth of treatment while being 20-somethings just trying to find their place in the little piece of the world they call life.

Will this unlikely friendship survive? Will they?

This is a story of unexpected connections, of laughter in the face of fear, and the transformative power of friendship. It is a testament to the fact that sometimes, the greatest treasures are found not in material wealth, but in the shared grit and grace of coming together. (Courtesy of Amazon.)

What is a favorite compliment you have received on your writing?
One of my favorite compliments I've received on my writing is how well-developed my characters are and how people feel connected to them. Character development was something I really struggled with in my early writing career and have since spent a considerable time trying to improve. Time well spent. 

What were the biggest rewards and challenges with writing Pink Clay?
Writing Pink Clay has been both my most rewarding and most challenging piece thus far because it was inspired by a real-life friendship that was lost due to breast cancer. My friend Jackie, whom the book is dedicated to, came into my life at a time when I was truly suffering, and breast cancer took her from us when she was only 35 years old. Writing this book was challenging because it touched on my own experiences with losing a friend to disease. Even though the characters I wrote are fictional, Emily and Sarah both represent emotional cornerstones of my own journey through grief. 

On the same token, writing Pink Clay has been immensely rewarding because I have since received an outpour of communications from other women and their families, including Jackie's family, who can relate to the same journey, and have found peace in connecting with the story. My friend's legacy lives on through her family, her children, and I am honored that, in some small way, also lives on through this story being shared with the world. 

If Pink Clay were made into a movie, who would you cast in the leading roles?
If Pink Clay were made into a movie, it would be a DREAM to have Zendaya play the role of Sarah (who happens to be my favorite), and I would love to see Emily played by Elle Fanning. Both actresses feel so perfect for every role they're in, but WOW how amazing it would be to see them as Sarah and Emily! 

Since you wrote this book to honor your friend's memory, please share a favorite memory you have of her.
On the day I gave birth to my second child, I had to say goodbye to my third. They were twins. We had known half-way through the pregnancy one of the twins wouldn't make it, so we held our breath and tried to get through the rest of it in good spirits. The birthday, a mix of joy and grief, sent me into a postpartum tailspin I was not prepared for. 

Around that same time, a new couple moved into the house next to ours, Jackie and her husband. They were a young couple, the same age as my husband and I, and with two kids, also the same age as ours. I was excited at the prospect of a new mom friend, but the postpartum depression and grief I felt prevented me from getting out of bed to meet her. 

Months would go by, I would see them and their kids from my living room window, playing outside, and generally enjoying the neighborhood. My husband tried encouraging me to go out and interact, but I still could not, lost in my own grief and exhaustion of having a new baby. 

Then it was Halloween. My new baby was four months old, my eldest daughter was turning two, in two days, and the whole neighborhood decided to get together outside for a bonfire while everyone passed out candy to trick-or-treaters. Jackie was there. I decided enough was enough and I was going to force myself out of the house. I'm so glad I did, because that one decision turned into an hours-long conversation between Jackie and I. Almost as if she had been just as excited about meeting me, as I was her. I learned that night that Jackie was in chemotherapy for breast cancer. We talked about her treatments, about my own struggles with postpartum, about the kids and my toddler's upcoming birthday. I had mentioned that my toddler had recently fallen into an obsession with a child's entertainment star named Blippi, but it had happened so recently, there was no time to plan a Blippi party or gifts, everything had been set and purchased already, oh well. We laughed about the kid's interests and how fleeting they could be. 

Two days later, on the day of my daughter's birthday, we woke up to a decorated pink gift bag sitting on our front porch. My kids and I were so excited to open my daughter's first birthday present! The party wasn't for a few more days, so we thought maybe one of our long-distance family members had sent something. My daughter's tiny fingers pulled away the pink tissue paper to reveal a Blippi doll. 

I was overcome. This was not from any family member, but my new friend Jackie. I couldn't believe how thoughtful she had been, considering her limited energy and everything she had going on with the demands of her treatments. She'd taken the initiative to go out and purchase a thoughtful gift for a child she'd just met. This was not just a gift, but an offer of friendship to me. It was a profound moment and sparked the next two years of us becoming good friends, and sharing in the last moments of her life. I still have the doll, it serves as a representation of a memory I will always cherish.

What is the most memorable Valentine's Day experience you've ever had?
The most memorable Valentine's Day experience I've ever had will have to go to my wonderful husband. My husband, Nick, is a notoriously horrible cook. When he moved out of his family home to attend college, he survived on canned chili and starbucks. Lucky for him, he met me, and I LOVE to cook. We eat well these days.

But one year, back when we were dating, I had mentioned that while I do enjoy all the fancy dates and restaurants he takes me to, I would so appreciate a home-cooked meal I didn't have to cook myself. That year, for Valentine's Day, he proclaimed he would cook me a meal and grant my wish. Remember, the man lived off canned chili, so, this is kind of a big deal. 

Anyway, he must have spent weeks preparing, like he was going to be a contestant on Master Chef. He searched recipes, different versions of the recipe, looked on forums for tips and tricks, etc. On the day, he went to the grocery store to purchase the freshest ingredients, using Google as his guide--also never having looked at a produce section in the grocery store. 

Alas, all the preparation could not prepare him for the kind of questions he would have in the moment. The time came to prepare the meal, and this is where it gets memorable. The man didn't know how to zest a lemon, salt a pot, or bread a filet of fish. In the heat of it all, with items already being cooked he tried, and pivoted, not having time or the ability to figure it out on the fly. 

I couldn't help myself, and went into the kitchen to assess his progress. I found a sack of flour on the counter that couldn't have been used considering the state of the cooked fish in the pan. 

"What was the flour for?" I asked.

"Oh, I was gonna do Beer Battered, but then I remembered I didn't know how to do that, so I'm doing grilled instead." 

The way he said it, and how thoughtful it was of him to just figure out a different way of doing it rather than bothering me for help, was the sweetest Valentine he could have given me. And his grilled fish pasta that night was fabulous. 

If your life was a TV series, which celebrity would you want to narrate it?
Maybe it's the millenial in me, but everytime I think of a narrator, I think of Morgan Freeman. It doesn't feel right for it to be anyone else. What an honor it would be to have the GOAT narrate my life. 

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

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

Giveaway ends February 11th at midnight EST.

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Wednesday, February 5, 2025

Book Review: The One Before the One


By Sara Steven

When Liv’s boyfriend Kit disappeared on a hike, seven years earlier, she thought her life was over. But with the help of their family and friends, she’s pushed her way through the grief, and now, miraculously, she's found a way to love again.

Until the morning of her wedding, when Liv steps through a doorway, and finds herself, somehow, back at the flat she shared with seven years earlier, six days before he left. Now, Liv has a chance to live those six days over, and change everything. If she gets this right, she can find out why Kit leaves and stop him.

But can she save him? And if she does, how will she choose, between the man she loved then, and the one she loves now? (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.)

The One Before The One has a premise that is reminiscent of the movie Sliding Doors, but it goes above and beyond. I was riveted by Liv’s story. One minute, she’s about to marry someone who she knows she wants to spend forever with, and the next, she is catapulted back to the past and her former love. When Kit had originally disappeared, it had taken her several years to move on. And now, she has a chance to reconcile what really happened and find out why Kit left.

There is another storyline that runs concurrently with Liz’s, and I was so sure as to who it was referencing and what it was about–but about ⅔ of the way through the book, I was completely gobsmacked by the truth of it all. It was the perfect set-up and tied in nicely with what Liz is discovering about Kit. It eventually comes down to a very hard choice for Liz: does she want to find her way back to Kit, even though he was her past, or does she want to stay in the relationship she’s in now, because that man represents her present and future?

The anguish and difficulty that Liz felt was reflected well within the writing and the introspective moments between herself and her psyche. Sometimes writing that highlights time travel can be difficult to read, but it was very well done here. I never felt like I was lost in knowing where Liz is at any given time, and the confusion she felt when ultimately having to choose between the two great loves of her life never felt shortsighted. I was invested from page one.

The truth is eventually revealed, and while it helped to answer some questions, more crop up–and that was the most difficult for Liz. The One Before The One was engaging and beautifully written, a definite five-star experience!

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

Purchase Links:
Amazon US * Amazon UK * Kobo

Emma Cooper is the author of highly acclaimed book club fiction, including The Songs of Us, which was shortlisted for the RNA Contemporary Novel Award. Previously published by Headline PG, Emma will publish emotional book club novels with Boldwood.


Visit Emma online:
WebsiteFacebook * Instagram * X


Visit all the stops on Emma's blog tour:

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Tuesday, February 4, 2025

Jessica Topper rocks our world...plus a book giveaway

Introduction by Melissa Amster

I first learned about Jessica Topper's books when I won a copy of Dictatorship of the Dress from another blogger. I loved it! Then I found out Jessica was re-releasing her debut novel, Louder than Love, and I knew I had to read that too. Another enjoyable novel for me! (See my review.) Since that time, Jessica has paired up with Amanda Usen for a wonderful Hanukkah series that I binge-read this past December. Today, I'm thrilled to have her back at CLC to talk about her latest novel, Get What You Need. This is a follow-up to Louder than Love, but can be read as a standalone. I do recommend checking out Louder than Love though! Jessica has one copy of Get What You Need for a lucky reader!

Jessica Topper has been in love with the beauty of the written word ever since she memorized Maurice Sendak's Chicken Soup with Rice at the age of three.

After earning a B.A. in English Literature and her Master's Degree in Library Science, Jessica went on to work as a librarian in New York City before trading in the books for bookkeeping. For seventeen years, she worked in the production office of an international touring rock band.

Jessica broke the rock romance mold with her 2013 debut novel LOUDER THAN LOVE. Her follow-up romantic comedy, DICTATORSHIP OF THE DRESS, was named one of Publishers Weekly's Best Books of 2015.


She lives in Western New York with her family - including two cats that love to walk across her keyboard.

Visit Jessica online:
Website * Facebook * Instagram * X 

Synopsis (may contain spoilers for Louder than Love): 
Sometimes getting what you want is the easy part...

Katrina Lewis-Graves isn't the type of woman to run from problems. But she knows to get out while the getting's good. Fourteen years ago, she left Manhattan for small town solace after a freak train accident left her widowed with a one-year-old. Seeking sanctuary in her hometown of Lauder Lake, Kat ended up stumbling upon a soul mate of legendary proportions: famed guitarist Adrian "Digger" Graves.

Now she's fleeing Manhattan once again: this time with her rock star husband and troubled teen daughter in tow. This time, it's to save Abbey...even if it means dragging her, kicking and screaming.

Across the pond, another woman is taking flight. Adrian's estranged daughter Natalie has not wanted for much in life back in England. Horses, houses in the country, cars, closets full of couture – all courtesy of, but with no thanks to, Digger Graves' heavy metal music success. Her parents' divorce had robbed Adrian of much of his fortune, as well as any meaningful place in his daughter's life. But as her own marriage and entire privileged pinnacle comes avalanching down, Natalie jumps on a desperate whim at the open invitation her stepmother Kat has made to "come stay anytime you want."

Lauder Lake may not be what Abbey or Natalie want, but it holds some surprises – and may just be exactly what they both need... (Courtesy of Amazon.)

What is one thing you would tell the debut novelist version of yourself?
I would channel my best Dori from Finding Nemo and say: Just keep writing, just keep writing…to remember the magic of writing that first book, the joy and the exploration, and not to let the numbers or reviews or the market keep you from telling the stories you want to tell.

What were the biggest rewards and challenges with writing Get What You Need?
Because this was a “ten years later” story following the characters of my very first and best-known novel, Louder Than Love, many of the rewards and challenges were intertwined. Re-visiting beloved characters but staying consistent with the “tone” and the world of Lauder Lake after so long put me through my paces but was also very rewarding. 

It gave me great pleasure to finally delve into the head of Natalie, the estranged daughter of our rock star hero Adrian “Digger” Graves from Louder Than Love. We had always heard about her from Adrian, but we finally get her POV, along with Abbey’s, in Get What You Need. Abbey was barely five when she first won over Adrian and the hearts of many readers, so it was difficult for me to put her in a few tough situations, to give her some very realistic flaws that teenagers have and yet, still keep her loveable and redeemable. 

But overall, the rewards were far greater than the challenges, being able to finally get this story out after finding I had notes on it dating back to before Louder Than Love’s publication! I had obviously wanted to stay with these characters for longer than just one book. 

If Get What You Need was made into a movie, what are some songs that would be on the soundtrack?
Music is always a big catalyst in my writing and so often my characters are musicians; even the title of the book was pulled from a song that just kept getting stuck like an earworm in my head! You won’t find anything too recent in this book, as it takes place around 2015 (keeping true to the first book’s 2004-2005 timeline). The top 3 songs would be: 

"You Can’t Always Get What You Want" – The Rolling Stones
"She’s Leaving Home" – The Beatles 
"New Year’s Prayer" – Jeff Buckley

There are other songs mentioned and even performed in the book, but no spoilers! I will leave them for readers to discover. :)

What is the last movie you saw that you would recommend?
The last movie I saw in theaters was A Complete Unknown. I’m not a huge Bob Dylan fan but I thought Timothée Chalamet really pulled off a great portrayal. I always like when an actor learns to play their own instruments (and even sing) for a role and apparently, all three of the main actors did just that. 

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

Joan Jett, please! I love her raspy, tough voice, which can also be tender at times. (Think “Bad Reputation” mashed with her “Crimson & Clover” cover.) She was the singer that twelve-year-old me and my friends would imitate, jumping off the bed with a hairbrush as a microphone in hand, so it would be fitting to have her along for the ride!

If we were to visit you, what are some places you would take us to see?
I live about twenty miles from the Canadian border, near Buffalo NY. I love to take people to see the Falls if they have never been, but then (if you have a passport) we can go across one of the three bridges into Canada. If we take the Rainbow Bridge, you can walk across and put one foot in Canada and keep one in the US. If we take the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge, there are cute little walking towns with cafés, coffee shops and wineries on both sides of the border and my favorite little town, Niagara-on-the-Lake, which is very picturesque and along the Niagara Wine Trail (hint: it features prominently in a future book!) 

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

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

Giveaway ends February 9th at midnight EST.

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Monday, February 3, 2025

Book Review: The Librarians of Lisbon

By Jami Denison

While much of the historical fiction centered around World War II deals with Germany, France, and England, the cataclysm was truly global, and many important events occurred in other countries. In her first adult novel, author Suzanne Nelson explores a lesser-known chapter in America’s involvement in that war. The Librarians of Lisbon is a fictional tale about a real program—American spies undercover in Portugal, a neutral country where Nazis and Allies slithered around each other for advantage. Nelson’s two heroines work undercover to help the Allies, but will love derail their missions?

By day, best friends Bea and Selene work as librarians in 1943 Lisbon, cataloging a vast array of information for the allies. By night, they are spies—Bea working with infamous double agent Gable to decode German messages, and Selene on the arm of Portuguese baron Luca, trying to find out which of his socialite friends is feeding information to the Nazis. Recruited separately, Bea and Selene keep their spy activities secret from each other, and grow apart as their adventures take them in different directions. But both women end up falling for the men they’re working with.

Librarians differs from most of the World War II fiction I read. It’s a slow burn, and the pacing doesn’t really pick up till three-fourths of the way through the book. There’s a subplot about the mining of wolfram and its uses that, while historically accurate, feels more intellectual than emotional. The women never seem truly in danger, and most of the tension is derived from the romantic relationships. There are parties, glittering gowns, and several explicit sex scenes. The mentions of concentration camps are few and far between. The book portrays a glamorous world of Mata Haris and James Bonds, not Ravensbruck.

I enjoyed the cameo of American born, French singer/spy Josephine Baker and other attempts that Nelson made in incorporating real events into her fictional account. But honestly, the action in the book felt very removed from the horrors faced by the Jewish, British, and French people. Readers who want to empathize with these populations may find the book isn’t what they’re looking for.

On the other hand, there’s something symbolic about reading about galas, operas, fancy ball gowns, and romances that are going on while millions of people are suffering. There are always people who will be able to profit from pain, and others who ignore it while going about their daily lives. We’re about to get a strong reminder of that. And this time, Americans won’t be the good guys. 

Thanks to Ro Romanello PR for the book in exchange for an honest review.

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Sunday, February 2, 2025

Book Review: Murder in the Tuscan Hills


By Sara Steven

A picturesque scene…

As grape harvest season rolls around, retired DCI Dan Armstrong and his beloved canine companion, Oscar, are looking forward to a nice quiet September. But when Dan is contacted about a mysterious death out in the Tuscan Hills, it seems that work must come before pleasure.

A suspicious find…

At first it appears that the body found lying outside a prestigious winery has been the result of a tragic hit and run. But then the police discover that this is a cover up for murder…but who would kill in such an idyllic spot and why?

A face from the past?

As Dan investigates, he meets famous ex rock star, Digger, owner of the winery and prestigious Podere Dei Santi hotel. Digger’s guests include wealthy businessmen, tourists, and, among them, suspected mafia hitmen. But more significant for Dan is a face he knows only too well from his own past and he soon finds that wine isn't the only thing fermenting around him.

Could this murder be the start of a gangland war, or do the killer’s motives lie much closer to home? Will complications from Dan's past return to trouble his future? Either way, Dan and Oscar must work around the clock to solve another mystery. (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.)

I know I say this with every Armstrong and Oscar book, but I think Murder in the Tuscan Hills is my favorite, and here’s why: There is still plenty of suspense and drama leading up to the eventual discovery of who the culprit is, but this time, we dive even deeper into who Dan is and the connections he has with the people he’s invested in. 

One of the constants that we’ve always known about Dan is the reason behind his marriage failing. His ex-wife had cited his need to always put his work before his family, and while that isn’t how Dan ever really felt about it, it’s always there, in the back of his mind. So much so, that when a body is found at the winery and he’s called in to help investigate, he’s concerned about how this will affect his current relationship with girlfriend Anna.

It doesn’t help that the ex-wife is now part of the investigation, which only adds to Dan’s fears. Of all the wineries in all the world, why did it have to be the one he’s been tasked with solving a crime for? There is an added layer of delicate chaos as he tries to balance his relationship, the ex, and finding a murderer. 

I liked getting to see Dan more vulnerable. The reader still experiences Dan’s methodic search for the truth, and that was as fun as it always is, and of course, who could forget Oscar, the greatest assistant ever created? But with all of that, Dan showed a side of himself I don’t feel I’ve really been privy to before this installment, and it was sweet to see him attempt to keep Anna at the center, ensuring he doesn’t take similar strides to cause imbalance to what they have. 

Someday, I’d like to check out the Tuscan Hills–I’ve been saying that for years, too, since I’ve started reading Williams’s books, but for now, I’ll continue to live vicariously through Dan and Oscar. It was another five-star read for me!

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

Purchase Link:
Amazon US * Amazon UKKobo

T. A. Williams is the author of over twenty bestselling romances and has turned his hand to cosy crime, set in his beloved Italy, for Boldwood. The series introduces us to retired DCI Armstrong and his labrador Oscar and the first book, entitled Murder in Tuscany, was published in October 2022. He lives in Devon with his Italian wife.

Visit T.A. Williams online:
Website * Facebook * InstagramX

Sign up for his newsletter.

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Friday, January 31, 2025

Book Review: If the Ring Fits



By Sara Steven

When investment banker Adrian and software engineer Rowena started the day, they didn’t expect to end it engaged! But Adrian has invented a fake fiancée to impress his CEO, regretting the lie almost immediately, and now he is in hot water. Meanwhile, Rowena's career has just gone up in flames, leaving her unemployed, unexpectedly expecting with no father in the picture, and short of options.


When fate throws these two hot messes into a meet-cute of epic proportions, it's a match made in rock-bottom heaven. They say love is blind, and with nothing to lose, Adrian gets down on one knee… and Rowena says yes!

The rules of engagement are simple:

Pretend to be madly in love

Keep their real lives separate

Absolutely, positively do NOT catch feelings

However, faking it is harder than they thought, especially when every overnight stay comes with only one bed and zero personal space—blurring that imaginary line between ‘just business’ and ‘definitely personal.’

Soon, their carefully constructed charade starts to feel alarmingly... real. Can Adrian and Rowena stick to their engagement pact, or will their fake relationship graduate to something authentically messy, complicated, and wonderful?
(Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.)

I know a storyline is good if I can imagine it portrayed on the small or big screen, and that is definitely the case with If the Ring Fits. The situation that Adrian and Rowena find themselves in is so unique and crazy–but realistic enough that I can totally picture it! Adrian needs a fake fiancee, and Rowena needs to find some means of security, even if it might be short-lived. Both characters can help one another, even coming up with rules to ensure it’s strictly platonic, but it’s tough when Adrian can’t seem to get Rowena out of his head, and Rowena loves how caring and sweet Adrian can be. They even come up with pet names for one another: Bunny for Adrian, Sunshine for Rowena. The lines between friendship and romance become extremely blurred, and in the best ways!

The story starts out rocky, the reader not really knowing from the get go what the outcome will be for this couple. Over time and chapters, it becomes clear that there is more here than just a business proposal, and I really liked that. Rowena has to think about her future, and not just for her, but for her child, and Adrian is so afraid to allow himself to engage within a serious relationship that he isn’t sure if he will ever be ready for anyone, even Rowena. Given how unorthodox their situation is, it’s hard to really say what the “right” thing is, and often secondary characters advise both Adrian and Rowena to listen to their gut, but I could tell that there is still a lot of learning and growth to be found. 

I loved how initially, Rowena is a more passive, reactive character, who ends up taking charge more–that was pretty evident when Adrian and Rowena attend their pseudo engagement party. And Adrian internally begins to question if he can see himself falling in love and seeking out Rowena’s love, even if it might mean possible hurt and failure. Adrian isn’t good with failure. But to see him take his fake fiancee into consideration and to witness the consideration of a future with someone was pretty amazing to see.

This was such a fun experience, a coming-of-relationship story that highlighted two very witty characters who make the best out of an unconventional situation. It was also nice to see some familiar characters from other books by Camilla Isley, characters linked together in ways that were seamless and effortless. If the Ring Fits is a definite five-star experience!    

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

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Camilla Isley
is an engineer who left science behind to write bestselling contemporary rom-coms set all around the world. She lives in Italy and her first title for Boldwood, The Love Theorem, a Hollywood-meets-STEM romance, was published in June 2023.

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Thursday, January 30, 2025

Lisa Montanaro is true to herself...plus a book giveaway


Introduction by Melissa Amster

I met Lisa Montanaro online when she started following CLC a while back. I've always known her to be kind, friendly, and someone with great book recommendations. So when I found out that she had written a book and that it would be published soon, I couldn't wait to learn more about it and get my hands on a copy! Everything We Thought Was True sounds really interesting and I'm excited to read it in the near future. I had a great time interviewing Lisa for CLC and I hope you will enjoy her answers as much as I do. Lisa has one ebook of her debut novel to share with a lucky reader!

Lisa Montanaro is part no-nonsense Italian American New Yorker and part sunny Californian. She has a unique background as a performer, teacher of deaf students, lawyer, coach, speaker, and author. Everything We Thought Was True is her debut novel. Lisa is also the author of The Ultimate Life Organizer, published by Peter Pauper Press. 

She serves as webinar host for the Women's Fiction Writers Association and is a member of its diversity & inclusion committee. She is also the facilitator of the Retro COLAGE group for adult children of LGBTQ parents. When not writing, Lisa enjoys cycling and hiking with her veterinarian husband, tending to her garden, and chasing after her rescue dogs. Lisa has enjoyed living snow-free since 2012 in Northern California, where she's made it her mission to sample the wines of the region. 

Visit Lisa online:
Website * Facebook * Instagram * BlueSky


Synopsis:

A secret that forever shapes a family… 

New York, 1983: When an argument erupts during dinner and Teresa Antinori, a typically docile wife and mother, hurls plates filled with pasta e piselli at her husband, Frank - the future of their Italian American family is changed forever. Frank has found a safe harbor with Teresa, but longs to truly be himself, while Teresa struggles with the startling discovery that her husband is gay and living a lie. 

Los Angeles 2015: Thirty-two years later, their daughter Lena is still picking up the pieces. When her father calls with unexpected news, it throws her right back into her least favorite place - the past. Lena is torn between supporting her father and her enduring loyalty to her mother, who once demanded secrecy at all costs. 

Told in alternating points of view - Frank and Teresa in the past, and Lena in the present -
Everything We Thought Was True is the story of a family trying to reconcile their past, understand the secret at the heart of the family’s rupture, and embrace the future. Brimming with love and loss, heartache and hope, this multigenerational family drama weaves a tapestry of identity, healing, and forgiveness. 

"A masterfully written 'love is love' story told during a time when freedom came with rules. Everything We Thought Was True is a love story but also a story of fear and disbelief. Everyone pays a price in this family that loses almost everything before they find not only themselves, but each other. A story of secrets, lies, triumph, and joy by a debut author who bears watching." 
~ Barbara Conrey, USA Today bestselling author of Nowhere Near Goodbye and My Secret to Keep
 
"Lisa Montanaro's carefully drawn characters are our neighbors—they are us—and they demonstrate a path to face and overcome the types of challenges that threaten to tear us apart. Refreshingly empathetic and self-reflective, Everything We Thought Was True is a novel of family and forgiveness perfect for our time." 
~ Jennifer Klepper, USA Today bestselling author of Unbroken Threads and The Last Road Trip

In one sentence, what was the road to publishing like for you?

It’s been a long and winding road, but an exciting one—started drafting in 2016, submitted to publishers in 2022, got my publishing deal in 2023, and am now releasing in January 2025.

How is Lena similar to or different from you?
On paper, the protagonist, Lena, and I share multiple identities: Italian American, married, native New Yorkers who moved to California (her to the LA area, me to the Davis area), lawyers (although I left the practice of law many years ago), and are the child of an LGBTQ+ parent. Yet, we are very different in many other ways. Lena is someone who hasn’t fully processed her emotions. She’s living in the aftermath of her family's secrets and decisions and hasn’t dealt with her childhood trauma. The characters in my novel are all trying to live their lives while the world and the truth are encroaching.

Many families have secrets that shape future generations. I hope readers resonate with what it’s like for a person and family to suffer emotional trauma or loss, and how it affects their lives.

If Everything We Thought Was True was made into a movie, who would you cast in the leading roles?
I love this question, especially because I’m a theater performer, and I love film adaptations of books. For Lena, I would cast Linda Cardellini, and for her husband Kevin, I would cast Justin Hartley (who ironically played the character of Kevin on This Is Us!). For Frank in the past story, I would cast Milo Ventimiglia. For Teresa, I’ve racked my brain researching who would play her and come up short, so I would hold auditions. ☺ I have a feeling I’d cast an unknown actress who would capture that Italian American look and the empathy of the character. Readers have said that Teresa is the heart of the story. If any readers can think of the perfect match for Teresa, please let me know!

What is the last book you read that you would recommend?
The Things We Leave Unfinished by Rebecca Yarros. It left me with such a book hangover! This was my first book by Rebecca Yarros, but it won't be my last. I loved this dual timeline novel, with one story set in present day, and the other during WWII. There was so much to weave together, and the author did it beautifully. There's a story within a story—one of the characters is an author and unearths letters from the past. Meanwhile, the reader is experiencing what is happening in those letters through the characters in the past. Very cool! There's love, romance (with some surprisingly hot sex in both the past and present stories), heartbreak, history, and surprise. I cried some tears of sadness and happiness while reading this one.

If your life was a TV series, which celebrity would you want to narrate it?
Marisa Tomei comes to mind immediately. She captures my physical look, is Italian American (we are paesana with ancestors from the same areas of Italy!), and I respect her work as an actress. Plus, I stood behind her on the red carpet for a movie premiere in New York City years ago and she seemed like a lovely person. 

If we were to visit you, what are some places you would take us to see?
California Wine Country for sure. I’ve made it my mission to sample the wines of the region since relocating to Northern California from New York in 2012. Other favorite spots are Lake Berryessa and the charming town of Winters, Sea Ranch and Point Reyes on the gorgeous Pacific Coast, Mount Shasta and Yosemite for their stunning natural beauty, Muir Woods for the majestic redwoods, and Lake Tahoe, which is one of the most stunning places in the world.

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

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

Giveaway ends February 4th at midnight EST.

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Wednesday, January 29, 2025

Book Review: Mask of the Deer Woman

By Melissa Smoot

At rock bottom following her daughter’s death, ex–Chicago detective Carrie Starr has nowhere to go but back to her roots. Starr’s father never talked much about the reservation where he was raised, but the tribe needs a new marshal as much as Starr needs a place to call home.

In the past decade, too many young women have disappeared from the rez. Some have ended up dead, others just…gone. Now local college student Chenoa Cloud is missing, and Starr falls into an investigation that leaves her drowning in memories of her daughter—the girl she failed to save.

Starr feels lost in this place she thought would welcome her. And when she catches a glimpse of a figure from her father’s stories, with the body of a woman and the antlers of a deer, Starr can’t shake the feeling that the fearsome spirit is watching her, following her.

What she doesn’t know is whether Deer Woman is here to guide her or to seek vengeance for the lost daughters that Starr can never bring home. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

This book was incredible. The storyline is a dark one, but a necessary one. As an Indigenous woman myself, the discussion of missing and murdered indigenous women and children is widely known in Native communities. The jurisdictional issues with state and county law enforcement and the federal government makes it almost impossible to get most of these cases the attention they deserve. I really appreciated how Dove explained these issues in a way that any reader can understand. 

The pace of this story was perfect. I have not read such a brilliant page turner in a while. I was completely captivated. The story takes us through only a span of days, but the urgency of needing a certain outcome makes it feel even too long for what the main character, Carrie Starr, is trying to accomplish in these few days.

Throughout the book, I never knew who I could trust, if anyone. I was surprised at who some characters turned out to be and not so surprised at others. I loved the inclusion of certain beliefs and traditions within the Native community, it added so much depth and personality to the story. Dove does a great job of putting a spotlight on the reality of reservation life. The poverty and high unemployment rate, as well as the domestic abuse and drug use, keeps some tribes in an unfortunate socioeconomic space. Add to this that some of these tribes do not have their own police force, and it is a recipe for disaster and tragedy for these missing girls. 

If there is ONE book you read in 2025, make it this one. You will not be sorry.

Thanks to Berkley for the book in exchange for an honest review. Purchase Mask of the Deer Woman here.

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Tuesday, January 28, 2025

Spotlight: Wedding Dashers

Ada’s little sister is getting married. Which should be a happy thought, right? But the once close sisters have been in a year long fight, the wedding is all the way in Ireland, and Ada is so broke that she just barely managed to get a ticket on a budget airline. And as if things couldn’t get worse, said airline just cancelled her connection. Which means Ada is stuck in London with no way to make it to the wedding.

Surely she’s hit rock bottom?

So, there’s no reason for her not to spill her heart out about the over-the-top wedding, her sister’s worryingly quick engagement, and the womanizing best man she’s dreading meeting to a handsome also-stranded stranger at the bar. Until she realizes the stranger is headed to the same wedding. Oh, and he’s the infamous best man.

Now, Jack and Ada must put their simmering attraction behind them to make it to Belfast before they miss the nuptials. But between flat tires, missed trains, and suspect hostels, Jack and Ada start to question whether their feelings are worth going the distance, or just a distracting detour along the way.

Purchase The Wedding Dashers

"The swoony banter, the hilarious travel mishaps, the close proximity—Wedding Dashers has it all. I was hooked from the very first page!”
—Lynn Painter, New York Times bestselling author of Happily Never After

"Did Heather McBreen write Wedding Dashers for me specifically? This book has everything my heart desires in a travel romcom—plans gone awry, perfect banter, and multiple instances of only one bed. It's funny, heartfelt, and hot as heck; I couldn't decide whether to laugh, swoon, or fan myself. A true delight!"
—Sarah Adler, USA Today bestselling author of Mrs. Nash's Ashes and Happy Medium

"Heather McBreen brings all the fun, all the feels, and all the chemistry with her debut Wedding Dashers, a romcom in its truest form that kept a smile on my face from the first page to the last. Ada and Jack's mishap travel adventures are side-splittingly funny and the tender moments in this book will stop you in your tracks. This is a book you'll want to read again and again." 
—Meredith Schorr, author of As Seen on TV and Someone Just Like You

Heather McBreen currently lives in Seattle, WA, but spent the best year of her life living in London where she completed an MA degree in arts and cultural management. When she's not writing or reading books about kissing, she can be found surfing the web for travel deals and plotting her next adventure. Wedding Dashers is her debut novel.

Visit Heather online:
Website * Instagram * X

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Monday, January 27, 2025

Book Review: The First Love Myth

By Sara Steven

Liz Madden has a storybook romance—high school sweethearts, second chances, and a happily-ever-after. But when she finds out that her husband cheated on her, she is forced to make the hard decision and walk away. Unable to reveal the betrayal to those closest to her, Liz instead takes refuge with her father and half-sister, Zoey.

Zoey is nursing her own broken heart after a devastating end to her first love. But true to Reid-sister heritage, she’s courting disaster with a no-strings-attached affair with her ex.

Liz's marital discord also brings their older sister, Cecilia, back to town. But Cecilia has complicated relationship issues of her own. She’s never forgiven their father for the affair he had seventeen years ago, and she’s also never accepted Zoey as part of the family.

As their respective heartbreaks draw Liz and Zoey closer together, Liz finds she is getting tired of walking the line between her two sisters.

The Reid sisters are each in over their heads. To make it through the summer, they'll have to heal the fractures between them. Sometimes, forgiveness isn’t always a straight line, and letting go is the only way forward. (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.)

I loved learning about the Reid sisters! All three have varying degrees of obstacles and hurdles they need to overcome, but it all stems from their familial pasts. Liz has allowed her husband to come and go for most of their relationship, seemingly due to his fears of long-term commitment, while Cecilia can never commit–she never feels safe enough to let down her guard, for fear of getting hurt. Zoey can’t seem to let go of her destructive first love, even though she knows he’s done too much for them to come back from, seeing many similarities to big-sister Liz. If Liz always forgives her husband, shouldn’t Zoey forgive her ex, too?

My favorite aspect to it all is the relationship shown between the three primary characters, the struggles in forgiveness, and when to let go of something that no longer serves the soul anymore. I felt like the pain Liz feels when deciding on whether to stay in her marriage or not is honest and real, deciding whether a relationship decades in the making is worth salvaging, and her sisters are there as support and guidance, as best as they can. Cecilia is afraid of letting the past in, which involves Zoey in ways Cecilia can’t come to terms with, but with tough love maybe she can get there, because the family bonds are so important and worth fighting for.

Zoey discovers that as much as Liz has been a role model for her, sometimes it’s OK to venture out into uncharted territories and make her own path that delineates from Liz, even if that means possible failure. I really felt like Zoey had a coming-of-age experience within this story, growing into herself and trusting her own gut more. She discovers she can’t make anyone love her, whether that’s her ex or in some sense, her own sister Cecilia.  

Really, each primary character had some serious growth happen, which was pretty amazing to see.  It seemed like the overall message was to highlight how change is inevitable and that it's OK when it happens, because sometimes the most beautiful things come from letting go. The First Love Myth was masterful and important, a definite five-star read!

Thanks to Red Adept Publishing for the book in exchange for an honest review.

More by Casey Dembowski:

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