What's in the (e)mail...plus a book giveaway

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

NG = NetGalley

Melissa:
How Freaking Romantic by Emily Harding from Gallery (NG)
Sisters of Fortune by Esther Chehebar from Random House (print)
The Island Club by Nicola Harrison from St. Martin's Press (NG)
Perfect Modern Wife by Kristen Van Nest from Thriller Book Lovers the Pulse (ebook)
Otherwise Engaged by Susan Mallery from Harlequin (NG)

The Re-Write by Lizzie Damilola Blackburn from Random House (print)
Lucky Break by Jaclyn Westlake from HarperCollins (print)
Dog Person by Camille Pagan from Ballantine (NG)
Hemlock Lane by Marshall Fine from Lake Union (NG)

Vagabond by Tim Curry from Grand Central (NG)

Jessica Harmon Has Stepped Away by by Reyna Marder Gentin from Caitlin Hamilton Marketing (NG)

As Long as You're Mine by Nekesa Afia from Kathleen Carter Communications (print)

The Underdog by Sagit Schwartz from Thriller Book Lovers the Pulse (ebook)

Family Drama by Rebecca Fallon from Simon & Schuster (NG)

Ghosted at Christmas by Holly Whitmore from Transworld (ebook)

Daughter of Egypt by Marie Benedict from St. Martin's Press (NG)

The Patchwork Players by Jennifer Chiaverini from William Morrow (NG)

The Fourth Daughter by Lynn Liao Butler from Lake Union (NG)

The Woman From Book Club by Carrie Hughes from Hera (NG)

Sara:
Under a Spanish Sky by T.A. Williams from Rachel's Random Resources (NG)

Jami:

The Lady on Esplanade by Karen White from Berkley (NG)

Allyson:
Dandelion is Dead by Rosie Storey from Berkley (NG)

This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page from Berkley (NG)

What could be in YOUR mail:

If All Else Sails by Emma St. Clair

Everything Is Probably Fine by Julia London

Thanks to HarperCollins, we have one copy of each book to share with a lucky reader!

If All Else Sails:

When Josie arrives at a rundown cottage in Virginia for her brother’s so-called Super Summer Sibling Extravaganza, she finds no extravaganza—just Wyatt, a grumpy, injured hockey player she loathes (and who happens to be her brother’s best friend and client). Tasked with helping him recover, Josie begrudgingly agrees—for the right price—even if it means sharing what she dubs the “murder cottage.” As they clash and coexist, Josie unexpectedly volunteers to join Wyatt on a sailing trip to scatter his uncle’s ashes, and the journey forces them to confront old grudges, buried truths, and a growing attraction that might just change everything.

Everything Is Probably Fine:

Lorna Lott has always prioritized results over relationships, earning her a reputation for being intense—and not particularly likeable. But when a career-jeopardizing mistake lands her in a mandatory thirty-day wellness program, Lorna must confront her buried grief, lingering rage, and the unresolved fallout from her sister’s addiction. With her promotion, her future, and even her childhood home on the line, Lorna embarks on a reluctant journey of healing—helped along by an unexpectedly sweet neighbor kid and his charming father—as she learns that the hardest thing to change might be herself.

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. 

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Giveaway ends August 6th at midnight EST. 

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Book Review: The Love We Found

By Melissa Amster

Nearly a decade after her life was upended, Lucy discovers a small slip of paper tucked into a box of old photos—an address in Rome. The mystery pulls her across the ocean on a spontaneous trip that feels both reckless and necessary. Italy was never part of her plan, but something about this clue won’t let her go.

There, Lucy meets Dr. Dax Armstrong, a compassionate New Yorker working with a local NGO. His quiet strength and watchful eyes stir something long dormant in her, awakening a part of herself she thought she’d lost.

As Lucy is drawn deeper into the puzzle—and her connection with Dax—she’s forced to confront the life she left behind and the impossible choices ahead. Some truths are heavy with consequence. And the heart, no matter how wounded, doesn’t always wait for perfect timing. (Synopsis adapted from Amazon.)

I am so glad Jill Santopolo wrote a sequel to The Light We Lost (reviewed here), so that we can revisit with some memorable characters. The Love We Found is a heartfelt and rewarding story and I actually loved it more than its predecessor. Moving the story ten years ahead reminded me of when TV shows get a big time jump and then have to fill in all the blanks. I liked the back and forth trajectory. I also liked Lucy a lot more in this story. 

Trust me, this novel is just really good! It helps to read The Light We Lost first (as there are a lot of spoilers in this follow up), but my mom was able to read this one on its own and follow along. (She then read The Light We Lost, but she doesn't mind spoilers.) While this one gives a lot of context about the past, it's still helpful to know who the characters were back then and what their relationships were like.

My only concern was that it felt like there was too much projecting to the future instead of staying in the moment. I can't explain it without spoiling things, but it just felt like Lucy was constantly focused on what was around the next corner.

This was a comforting read overall and it also shows the consequences of one decision made a long time ago and the effects it has on the lives of everyone involved. That was done really well and made for some interesting and thought-provoking dialogue. I recommend picking it up, but be sure that you have nothing else going on because you will get absorbed!

(Trigger warnings at the bottom of this post.)

Movie casting suggestions:

Lucy: Odette Annable
Darren: Jason Ritter
Kate: Beth Behrs

Dax: Devon Sawa

Eva: Christina Pickles

Violet: Cailey Fleming

Courtney: Alison Pill

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

More by Jill Santopolo:

Everything After

Stars in an Italian Sky

More than Words

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TW: Loss of child (off page), infidelity (off page), death of significant other (referred to a lot), learning about parentage

Kate Hash has made a new home for herself...plus a book giveaway

Please help us give a warm welcome to Kate Hash, whose debut rom-com, Gracie Harris is Under Construction, is now available. We enjoyed learning more about Kate and her novel and are excited to feature her here today. Thanks to Dutton, we have THREE copies of Gracie Harris to give away!

A graduate of The George Washington University with a B.A. in Journalism and a minor in English, and an M.A. in Higher Education Administration from the University of Louisville, Kate Hash has lived in Washington, D.C., Louisville, KY, and Florence, Italy before settling in Chapel Hill, NC. Her professional path has included magazine publishing, marketing, consulting, and—most recently—a decade in higher education IT at one of the country’s top public universities. 

A lifelong reader and writer, she spends her evenings diving into books or working on fiction once her kids are asleep. Her debut novel releases on July 29, 2025. Between writing seasons, she enjoys watching college sports and rewatching classic TV with her husband. She also writes a weekly newsletter on Substack, It’s Been a Week. (Bio adapted from Kate's website.)

Visit Kate online:
Website * Instagram 

Synopsis:

Gracie Harris never intended to become the queen of grief. But when an essay she writes the night of her husband Ben’s memorial goes viral, she lands a popular column on love and loss and an impressive book deal.

Now, the biggest tragedy of her life is the center of her world. With a looming book deadline and her kids at summer camp, Gracie escapes for a summer of solitude to the ramshackle mountain house she and Ben bought for their family before his death. When charming contractor Josh arrives on her doorstep to help renovate the home, Gracie discovers an unexpected connection that is energizing . . . and surprisingly flirtatious.

As her feelings and resilience grow, Gracie must decide whether she’s ready to embrace a new version of her life. Gracie’s first Happily Ever After didn’t last as long as she’d expected. Now she has to wonder: Could Josh be her chance for a second great love story? (Courtesy of Amazon.)

"A raw and compelling exploration of grief and rebuilding, Gracie Harris left me full of hope and with a renewed faith in second chances."

—Annabel Monaghan, national bestselling author of Summer Romance

“Touching, honest, and hopeful, Gracie Harris is Under Construction is the perfect second chance romance to remind us that there is life and love again after loss. Kate Hash’s stunner of a debut leaves zero room for doubt that she is the next big voice in romantic comedies.”

—Sara Goodman Confino, bestselling author of Don’t Forget to Write

"A stunning and sensitive exploration of falling in love while grieving an unimaginable loss. Perfect for fans of Annabel Monaghan and Beth O'Leary who love to read their love stories with a box of tissues in their laps."

—Ellie Palmer, author of Four Weekends and a Funeral

In one sentence, tell us what the road to publishing was like for you.
My road to publishing has been somewhat unexpected (I’m a debut novelist at forty-one years old!), but altogether a wonderful, very creatively fulfilling experience.

How is Gracie similar to or different from you?
Gracie feels like a friend to me at this point. She feels real and like a girlfriend I would meet on the weekend for brunch. I worked really hard to give her character that relatability. Of course, I want her to resonate with everyone who reads the book, but I had a generalized ‘reader avatar’ in my mind while I wrote – women, in their 30s and 40s, working moms, chronically online, etc. I constantly thought of that reader with the goal of making Gracie accessible to her.
So, in that sense, Gracie feels both familiar and similar to me…I created her to be that way. I hope that a lot of women see themselves in Gracie!

If Gracie Harris is Under Construction was made into a movie, who would you cast in the leading roles?
I can see a few different actors playing the lead roles, but I always think of them in pairs. Jo Swisher and Taylor Kitsch would be great as Gracie and Josh. So would Rachel McAdams and Brandon Sklenar. If we went with slightly younger actors, Sofia Carson and Gabriel Basso would be great.

What is the last book you read that you would recommend?
I read across a lot of different genres, so it’s hard to pick just one! The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff and Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir are both recent favorites. 

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

Anna Kendrick. My life would require a little sassiness and sarcasm in the voiceover!

If we were to visit you right now, what are some places you would take us to see?
If it was your first time in North Carolina, I’d want to take you west to the mountains (Blue Ridge Parkway, Pisgah Forest, etc.) so that you can see the setting for the book and fall in love. You don’t need to be outdoorsy (I’m definitely not!) to adore this part of the state. After we explored, we would then head as far east as we could go and spend a few days relaxing on the Outer Banks. North Carolina has it all!

Thanks to Kate for visiting with us and to Dutton 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. 

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Giveaway ends August 5th at midnight EST.

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Book Review: The Summer You Were Mine

By Melissa Smoot

Ellie Beltrami and Cristiano Conte have known each other their entire lives. Both families hail from Chiavari, a small city on the Italian Riviera. Their grandparents are friends. Their parents are friends. They were friends. And for one brief moment fourteen summers ago, they were almost more than that.

After years apart, Ellie and Cris are headed back to Chiavari as generations of Beltramis and Contes gather for the unlikely second marriage between her grandmother and his grandfather. But while everyone’s celebrating, Ellie is reeling from the very public implosion of her career as the host of a sports talk show, plus overthinking her past and perceived flaws in light of the recent discovery that she is neurodivergent. Cris, a newly retired elite swimmer, also arrives adrift after being accused of using a banned substance.

Reunited in a place where summer dreams come true, Cris and Ellie make a deal: an exclusive interview with Cris to fix her career, and an appearance on Ellie’s show to clear his name. Soon they’re picking up where their teen romance left off—but if this second chance can last, they’ll need to finally confront what drove them apart all those summers ago. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

This was a great book! The story flowed well, and I loved the setting on the coast of Italy. I could picture the gorgeous scenery and beautiful villas. The two main characters, Ellie and Cris, were both relatable in different ways, and I liked how the author let us read the story from both of their points of view. 

I am a sucker for second-chance stories and this one was no exception. It wasn’t only about a second chance in love, but in life in general. I laughed out loud a lot while reading and found myself smiling at the sweetness of the big Italian families. If you are heading on vacation anytime soon, this would be a great book to take along. You will lose yourself in the visions of sunny Italian beaches and witty banter over wine. 

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for the book in exchange for an honest review. Purchase The Summer You Were Mine here.

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Stacy Finz is a wish come true...plus a book giveaway!

 Credit: Carlos Avila
Gonzalez

We're pleased to welcome Stacy Finz to CLC to celebrate the publication of her latest novel, Your Every Wish. The story sounds charming and we are loving the cover! We enjoyed getting to know Stacy and hope you will too. Thanks to Kensington, we have FIVE copies to give away!

Stacy Finz is a New York Times bestselling author of contemporary romance. After more than twenty years covering notorious serial killers, naked-tractor-driving farmers, fanatical foodies, aging rock stars and weird Western towns as a newspaper reporter, she figured she finally had enough material to launch a career writing fiction. She lives in Northern California with her husband.

Visit Stacy online:

Website * Facebook * Instagram

Sign up for Stacy's newsletter.

Synopsis:
Scrappy, worldly Kennedy Jenkins and soft-hearted Emma Keil barely know each other, but when life throws them each a curve ball, they’re suddenly living together—in a rundown trailer park they’ve inherited from their late father, in a nowhere California town aptly called Ghost. After all, their neighbor, Madam Misty, is a soothsayer-witch, and Halloween is just around the corner.

A casino host, Kennedy is hiding out from a high roller who wrongly thinks she stole tens of thousands of dollars from him. Emma, a flat-broke advice columnist who can’t take her own advice, has lost her apartment, and her on-again, off-again, commitment phobic boyfriend, Dex, is no help. Still, she’s charmed by Ghost, its quirky residents—and the enigmatic guy who lives in trailer 510—while Kennedy is sure their father hid a fortune somewhere. She’s determined to find it—even if it means turning to Madam Misty . . .

When Madam Misty grants them three wishes, they’re clear: Kennedy wants money; Emma just wants Dex. But as the nights get chillier, and Halloween descends, a special kind of magic ensues—one that will reveal surprising truths about their father, themselves—and what they really want out of life . . . (Courtesy of Amazon.)

What is a  favorite compliment you have received on your writing?

I love when readers tell me they couldn’t put one of my books down and read it in one night. That’s when I know I’ve done my job because holding someone’s attention for an entire book is no easy feat.

What is one thing you would tell the debut novelist version of yourself?

Not to be too hard on myself and to stop saying yes to everything. In those early years, I didn’t know how to say no. I was killing myself to make impossible deadlines and had to learn how to achieve a realistic work-life balance. 

If Your Every Wish were made into a movie, who would you cast in the lead roles?

Emma would be played by Anna Kendrick and Kennedy would be played by Dakota Johnson. Wouldn’t that be fun? I think they’d do a great job. 

Aside from becoming a published author, tell us another wish that has come true for you.

A few years back, my husband and I were able to buy a lake cabin in California’s Sierra Foothills. It took me forty years to make that wish come true but it was worth the wait. During Covid it was our sanctuary. And the place has become my muse for many of my books, including Your Every Wish. The town where the book is set, Ghost, is loosely based on Grass Valley, the nearest town to our cabin. The wonderful town of Ghost makes its first appearance in Nothing Less Than Magic. I loved it so much that I based Your Every Wish there too. But even before those two books, the area played host to my entire Dry Creek Ranch series.    

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

Ooh, this is a hard one. I think Lauren Graham, who played Lorelai Gilmore in the Gilmore Girls, would be a good choice. A lot of her Lorelai character reminds me of me, especially the sarcasm and humor. 

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

I live full-time in the Bay Area and in my past life I was a food writer for the San Francisco Chronicle. So, we would probably spend a lot of time going to all my favorite restaurants. We’d get fried chicken sandwiches at Bakesale Betty and Cajun food at Angeline’s Louisiana Kitchen (leave room for the chocolate pot au crème). We’d cross the bridge to San Francisco for some fresh baked bread at Tartine and some Mexican food at Nopalito. The next day, we’d hit the Napa Valley for some wine tasting and shopping, maybe finish the trip in Sonoma County at Willi’s Wine Bar with some small bites and a tasty Russian River Pinot Noir. 

Thanks to Stacy for chatting with us and to Kensington 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. 

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Giveaway ends August 3rd at midnight EST.

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Book Review: Asylum Hotel

By Sara Steven

Aubrey Spencer loves photographing classic old buildings and abandoned places that hold old secrets. The Hotel Seabrink, perched overlooking the sea, is one such place. Currently abandoned but scheduled for a major renovation, it has a torrid history. Back in the 1920s it hosted A-list celebrity clientele, and now the locals insist it is haunted by the ghosts of two young women who died there. When Aubrey goes to photograph the site before the renovation begins, she bumps into a man named Dimitri Petroff, a minor online celebrity who shares her fascination with old buildings, the Hotel Seabrink in particular.

When he is found dead the next day at the base of a cliff, the police are quick to close the investigation. But Aubrey feels unsettled by locals who claim he was murdered and that it’s not the first time someone interested in the hotel was killed. As she digs deeper into the property’s dark history (and its origins as an asylum) as well as Dimitri’s professional rivalries, she becomes mired in an unsolved murder case from several decades earlier, one with eerie parallels to the contemporary case.  But someone is determined to keep her from discovering the truth—at any cost. (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.)

Asylum Hotel is the perfect mix of suspense and psychological thriller, all wrapped up within an engaging ghostly read that kept me on my toes from start to finish. The entire time, I kept picturing the book turned into a small screen made for tv movie, or even a larger screen theater experience. 

There is a supposed curse at the Hotel Seabrink; if someone spies the ghost in the attic, they die within 24 hours. For Aubrey, she questions whether that has anything to do with what has happened to Dimitri, if he truly ever saw an apparition to begin with, or if there is something deeper involved. Aubrey doesn't believe in ghosts and finds the whole thing to be a bit ridiculous, but there are some unexplained events that happen while she's at Hotel Seabrink that makes her question everything. 

What happens next is fast paced and downright scary. From being followed to receiving threats, to seeing things that are unexplained and unreal, Aubrey tries to hold it all together while figuring out the true roots and secrets behind the hotel and the surrounding town. I enjoyed the descriptive details about the hotel and the town's scenery, with a lot of natural backdrop that made me feel like I was right in the thick of the rural California wilds. When everything came to a head and truths were revealed, I was surprised by the revelation! It wasn't what I expected.

Asylum Hotel was perfectly creepy without going over the top, keeping me invested the whole way through. It was a definite five star experience! 

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

More by Juliet Blackwell:
Letters from Paris
The Vineyards of Champagne
The Paris Showroom

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Book Review: Third Time Lucky

By Sara Steven

Asher Wright has spent his career creating and concocting the perfect dishes and is about to open his very own restaurant. Life is good. His love life, however, is far from cooking! He hasn’t thought about Lucy Gray in years – not since they both graduated, reeling from the shocking loss of her then boyfriend and his best friend Kris, who tragically died at 18. So when he witnesses the breakdown of her wedding in all its humiliating glory - old wounds and long-buried emotions resurface.

As Lucy lands a right hook on her soon-to-be ex-fiancée in front of their entire wedding party, she has a moment of realization... Love is not on the menu for her! Fate, however, has other plans... A chance twist of events lands Asher as the private chef for Lucy’s spirited grandmother, Mitzi, and what begins as awkward encounters in Mitzi’s Portland mansion soon evolves into a simmering connection she never expected.

As Asher and Lucy work through their past they discover a bond that feels both familiar and excitingly new. (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.)

What are the chances that two friends from high school would run into one another in Vegas? For Asher and Lucy, it’s highly likely! Only, Lucy is there preparing for her wedding, while Asher is there with his younger brother to blow off some steam for his birthday in Sin City. I thought the premise behind that was a great way to introduce both main characters and introduce a major catalyst, which ends up being Lucy’s awful fiancee.

The background and the friendship between Asher and Lucy created a stumbling block when it comes to their relationship ever going beyond friendship. Lucy’s first love had died in a car accident, which Asher feels responsible for. So whenever he is around Lucy, thoughts of their tragic past comes back to haunt him. He also feels some guilt in having any feelings for Lucy. Lucy feels the same way. But it’s undeniable that the two now grownups are drawn to one another despite the past. 

Another issue is Asher’s younger brother, Aaron. He has no intention of ever developing true feelings for someone, preferring a “love ‘em and leave ‘em” mentality that has kept him safe from ever getting hurt. Aaron begins a dalliance with Lucy’s best friend, now putting both Lucy and Asher in the middle of that whole potential mess. There was actually a scene in the book that irritated me a little bit, because Lucy feels it’s Asher’s job to make Aaron a better man and to be more responsible when it comes to her best friend’s feelings, but I sided with Asher in not wanting to get involved. I didn’t think it was right for Lucy to feel that Asher needed to “fix” it. But it was a major point where the reader could really begin to see more of the cracks surface in Asher and Lucy’s relationship.

When Lucy gets the chance to put her ex-fiancee in his place chapters down the road, it was pretty epic. And I enjoyed the sweet, soft-paced deep relationship that grew between Asher and Lucy, particularly because there is familiarity between them, but in many ways, they are both learning new things and functioning in more mature ways. I love when books are set in Oregon too; I’m from Oregon, born and raised! I felt the descriptions of the Portland landscape were very realistic. Third Time Lucky was a really delightful experience!  

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

Purchase Links:
Amazon US * Amazon UK * Kobo

Aimee Brown is a writer of romantic comedies set in Portland, Oregon. She writes closed door romance (NO sex scenes, light kissing) with humor and crude language. She spends much of her time writing, raising three kids (who are all nearly grown now), binge-watching shows on Netflix and obsessively cleaning and redecorating her house. She's fluent in sarcasm and has been known to utter profanities like she's competing for a medal.

Aimee grew up in Oregon but is now a transplant living in cold Montana with her husband of twenty+ years, two of three children, and far too many pets. She is a lot older than she looks and yes, that is a tattoo across her chest.

Visit Aimee online:

Facebook *  Instagram

Sign up for Aimee's newsletter.

Visit all the stops on Aimee's blog tour:

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Ellen Marie Wiseman tells us no lies...plus a book giveaway

We are so pleased to have Ellen Marie Wiseman back at CLC today to talk about her latest novel, The Lies They Told, which will be available next week. Melissa is a huge fan of her writing and has only good things to say about this novel on her Bookstagram. (Full review coming soon.) Ellen has TWO copies to share with a lucky reader!

Ellen Marie Wiseman is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the highly acclaimed historical fiction novels The Orphan Collector, What She Left Behind, The Plum Tree, Coal River, The Life She Was Given, and The Lost Girls of Willowbrook. Her seventh novel, The Lies They Told, will be released by Kensington Publishing on July 29, 2025. 

Born and raised in Three Mile Bay, a tiny hamlet in northern New York, she’s a first-generation German American who discovered her love of reading and writing while attending first grade in one of the last one-room schoolhouses in New York State. Since then, her novels have been published worldwide, translated into twenty languages, and sold more than one million copies in the United States alone. A mother of two, Ellen lives on the shores of Lake Ontario with her husband. (Bio courtesy of Ellen's website.)

Visit Ellen online:

Website * Facebook * Instagram

Synopsis:
When Lena Conti—a young, unwed mother—sees immigrant families being forcibly separated on Ellis Island, she vows not to let the officers take her two-year old daughter. But the inspection process is more rigorous than she imagined, and she is separated from her mother and teenage brother, who are labeled burdens to society, denied entry, and deported back to Germany. Now, alone but determined to give her daughter a better life after years of living in poverty and near starvation, she finds herself facing a future unlike anything she had envisioned.

Silas Wolfe, a widowed family relative, reluctantly brings Lena and her daughter to his weathered cabin in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains to care for his home and children. Though the hills around Wolfe Hollow remind Lena of her homeland, she struggles to adjust. Worse, she is stunned to learn the children in her care have been taught to hide when the sheriff comes around. As Lena meets their neighbors, she realizes the community is vibrant and tight knit, but also senses growing unease. The State of Virginia is scheming to paint them as ignorant, immoral, and backwards so they can evict them from their land, seize children from parents, and deal with those possessing “inferior genes.”

After a social worker from the Eugenics Office accuses Lena of promiscuity and feeblemindedness, her own worst fears come true. Sent to the Virginia State Colony for the Feebleminded and Epileptics, Lena face impossible choices in hopes of reuniting with her daughter—and protecting the people, and the land, she has grown to love. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

Praise for Ellen's writing:

"An immersive historical tale with chilling twists and turns. Beautifully told and richly imagined." 

—Stephanie Dray, New York Times bestselling author (on The Orphan Collector)

“A must read for WWII Fiction aficionados—and any reader who loves a transporting story.” 

—Jenna Blum, New York Times bestselling author of Those Who Save Us (on The Plum Tree)

What is one thing you would tell the debut novelist version of yourself? 
If I could tell my debut novelist self one thing, it would be this: keep the faith—because what’s ahead for your books is beyond anything you could imagine!

What is something you learned from writing your previous novels that you applied to The Lies They Told? 
That’s a tough question because every novel feels like a completely new challenge—no matter how many I’ve written, it never really gets easier. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned and brought with me into writing THE LIES THEY TOLD, it’s to trust my instincts.

If The Lies They Told were made into a movie, who would you cast in the leading roles?
Silas Wolfe—Bradley Cooper 
Lena Conti—Amanda Seyfried
Bonnie Wolfe—Vivien Lyra Blair
Jack Henry Wolfe—Grant Feely
Mariam Sizer—Ann Dowd
George Pollock—Benedict Cumberbatch 

What is the last thing you had a good laugh about?
I’m not sure I can pick one thing because my six grandkids make me laugh all the time. 

If your life was a TV series, which celebrity would you want to narrate it? 
I have to pick my favorite, Meryl Streep. 

If we were to visit you right now, what are some places you would take us to see?
First, I’d take you for a boat ride on the beautiful waters of Lake Ontario, where we’d explore charming bays and quaint little villages along the shore. Then we’d head to the St. Lawrence River and the stunning 1000 Islands to see the massive freighters, incredible islands, and Boldt Castle—a full-scale Rhineland castle on picturesque Heart Island in Alexandria Bay. It was built in the early 1900s by George C. Boldt, millionaire proprietor of the world famous Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City.  

Thanks to Ellen 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. 

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Giveaway ends July 29th at midnight EST.

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Sara and Melissa Talk About...Shocking Celebrity Deaths

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

This month, we are talking about celebrities again, but this time about the deaths that shocked us the most. Whose death shocked you the most? Please don't hesitate to share in the comments!

We're always open to topic suggestions, so please don't hesitate to share those in the comments. We'd also love to know if you can relate to anything we've said or hear your own thoughts on the topic. So don't be shy. :) We look forward to getting to know you as much as we're letting you get to know us. You can find our previous columns here, in case you missed them. 

Sara Steven:

Even without personally knowing a celebrity, their deaths can be shocking. I can think of quite a few times when hearing about a celeb’s death felt like a huge sucker punch right to the gut. I had to pull over when I heard about Aaliyah’s death. Whitney Houston’s announcement gave me chills. And just in the last two days, we heard about the passing of Malcolm-Jamal Warner and Ozzy Osbourne. When I read about their deaths online, I audibly gasped. It was loud enough for my husband to ask me what was wrong. He was shocked, too. 

Courtesy of Rolling Stone

Celebrities become well-known to us. So many of us grew up with Malcolm, Whitney, and Aaliyah. They feel invincible. There are some deaths that, while emotionally painful, might be more expected if the celebrity is much older or fans have been made aware of something like poor health that could be a possible culprit. I had high hopes that Betty White would make it to 100. I figured if anyone could, it would be her. 

The deaths that shock me the most are the ones that are completely unexpected. I remember how devastating it was to learn of Kobe Bryant’s (and his daughter’s) plane crash. And how could Bob Saget not be with us anymore? Phil Hartman’s homicide still does not feel real. And this year, Clueless celebrates its 30th year, but it does not feel complete without Brittany Murphy telling us all to “roll with the homies.”

We miss our focal points. The people who represented a particular era of time that we cherish. People who might have inspired us, like Tupac Shakur, or Robin Williams. Or those who were like father figures for us–it was tough to watch the new Frasier without John Mahoney. Matthew Perry made us all laugh; “Could he BE any funnier?” And Luke Perry made us cry when we learned the world would move on without his presence on this earth.

Courtesy of Vanity Fair

My best friend never seemed to recover after we lost Jonathan Brandis. That hit her hard, when we were teens. I felt that way about River Phoenix and Kurt Cobain. I loved Bill Paxton in Big Love, and Michael Kenneth Williams is still referred to as “Chalky White” in my house, from his Boardwalk Empire days. We even try to mimic his scratchy, cadenced tone when we say his character’s name out loud. 

Lisa “Left Eye” Lopez. Adrienne Shelly. Prince. Anne Heche. Michelle Trachtenberg. Angus Cloud. And Stephen “Twitch” Boss. They’re added to my list of shocking deaths, because as with the other celebs I’ve included in my post (and I’m sure there are more names that I’m forgetting right now), it hurts to lose the bright spots they’ve left behind. We feel their absence, even if we never personally knew them. 

Courtesy of People

Melissa Amster:

Sara came up with this topic a couple months ago, so the timing is strange for us to share it this week, which was planned, given that Malcolm Jamal-Warner just died in an unexpected way. He was pretty young too. I lost track of him after The Cosby Show, but it sounds like he still had a good acting career and was on a bunch of shows. I'm also scared of drowning so hearing that he died that way is even more unsettling. Anyway, he was not on my Bingo card and I did not expect to see that news this week. And then if that wasn't a kicker enough, I found out yesterday about Ozzy Osbourne. I literally said "holy crap!" when I passed along the news. Celebrity deaths come in threes, so I worry about who could be next...

When I think about the celebrity deaths that shocked me the most, the following come to mind:

Betty White: I know she was old, but she was so, so close to celebrating her 100th birthday that it was a huge shock and disappointment when she passed shortly before that happened. I was hoping she'd be immortal. 

Bob Saget: I felt like his death came out of nowhere and he was still pretty young. At least in today's standards. I had to look up how he died and it says that it was from head trauma. How scary! I was always a Full House fan, so this one was definitely more personal. I also loved his narration on How I Met Your Mother. And I saw him on Broadway in The Drowsy Chaperone.

Courtesy of Biography

Matthew Perry: What Friends fan isn't completely floored by the sudden passing of Chandler Bing?!?  

Jill Sobule: This one hurt. She was killed in a house fire a couple months ago. I had just come home from seeing a musical with my kids and saw the news. Jill's album (along with Jewel's) saved my sanity after my first breakup. I still listen to that album and get the songs in my head a lot. And I love her version of "I Kissed a Girl" way more than Katy Perry's. 

Courtesy of Variety

Luke Perry: A Gen X icon who also died way before he should have. I remember he had a stroke and went quickly after that. We weren't prepared at all, the way we were prepared for Shannen Doherty's passing last year. I hadn't been watching Riverdale when Luke died, but I watched a few years later and cried from the episode about Fred Andrews' funeral. 

Weirdly enough, Princess Di: I don't follow the Royal Family and never paid much attention to Princess Di or anything going on in her life. So when my grandma called me over Labor Day weekend in 1997 to tell me that Princess Di had been killed in a car accident, I thought she was making it up. Then I turned on the news. I think just knowing how it happened and how her life ended so quickly was jarring to me. I know what led up to her death and wish she had not had a reason to run from the paparazzi. I just felt bad for her kids, who were so little at the time. 

Robin Williams: He was the last person I expected to take his own life, especially after he always brought joy to people with his comedic acting. It goes to show that you never really know what's going on in someone's life, behind their jokes and grins.

Courtesy of Medium

Gavin Creel: As a Broadway fan, this one really hurts too. I had no idea he was even sick so when someone reported that he passed away, I was like "Wait, what?!?" Gavin was kind hearted and had such great talent and stage presence. I saw him in Into the Woods when it toured a few years ago. I never saw him in Thoroughly Modern Millie, but hearing this song always haunts me.

There are other celebrity deaths that happened over time that I sometimes didn't see coming, like some of the actors from Glee, for example. I also remember how sad it was in the late nineties hearing about Chris Farley and Phil Hartman, iconic SNL comedians. And of course there's Michael Jackson, whose music lives on even sixteen years later. I know there will be others. I just want to wrap some celebrity icons like Dick Van Dyke, Carol Burnett, and Mel Brooks in bubble wrap and keep them immortal. 

I noticed that Sara and I had listed a lot of the same people, but clearly their deaths had made an impact on both of us.

Which celebrity's death has shocked you the most? (You can say more than one if you have a list!)

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Book Review: The Cover Girl

By Jami Denison

"Into the Night," that song which infamously starts out with "She’s just sixteen years old/leave her alone," came out in 1980 and was a top twenty hit for an obscure singer, Benny Mardones. That this song became a hit says a lot about the time period and attitudes about teenage girls. Of course Mardones wasn’t the only one. The Beatles sang about a girl who was just seventeen, and other singers before them hinted about the youth of the girls they loved.  For most of the modern era, girls who’d reached puberty were considered fair game. 

Amy Rossi’s debut novel, The Cover Girl, might have been inspired by "Into the Night." Only in The Cover Girl, no one was around to keep the singer and his muse "separated by fools."

Birdie Rhodes was thirteen years old and 5’10” when she was discovered by legendary model agent Harriet Goldman, who took her own with the warning not to make trouble but to tell her if anyone makes her uncomfortable. Two years later, a 30-year-old rock star picks her to be his cover model… and his girlfriend. Birdie’s parents, blinded by fame and narcissism, turn a blind eye and sign guardianship of their daughter over to him. And Birdie moves to LA and goes on tour with the singer, his band, and their hangers-on. When the tour is over, she doesn’t come home. 

The Cover Girl is told from Birdie’s first-person point-of-view in the 1970s and 80s and again in 2018, when she’s invited to a gala celebrating Harriet’s fifty years in the business. Most of the story is told rather than shown, with an occasional scene breaking up pages and pages of description and narration. The result is that the reader feels as detached from Birdie’s life as Birdie is from her own abuse. 

The novel is tough to read—not because it’s graphic, which it is not. But Birdie is so eager to be seen and to please, and while she acknowledges this, it isn’t clear where this need comes from. Her mother seems narcissistic, but we spend so little time with her, we can't tell how much that affected Birdie. The relationship with the rock star dominates everything, informing Birdie’s lifestyle and career choices. While Birdie also tells the reader about fashion shoots, designers, and some travel, she never reaches the heights she might have reached, had she not fallen in with the rock star and his hedonistic lifestyle. When the relationship is no longer the center of her life, the rest of the book becomes episodic. 

In 2018, Birdie still doesn’t seem to have come to terms with the relationship. She’s wedded to the idea that she was capable of making sound decisions at 15, and that the relationship was consensual. While the thread that ties the past and present together is the gala and the question of why Birdie and Harriet no longer speak, Harriet doesn’t appear often enough in the book for readers to care about that falling out, or what will happen when they meet again.  

I didn’t love the book—I wanted more showing and less telling—but I rooted hard for Birdie. It was painful that there wasn’t one person in her life willing to take action to get her away from a predator.  

Maybe times aren’t that different after all. 

Thanks to Kaye Publicity for the book in exchange for an honest review.

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A friendly chat with Linda Dahl...plus a book giveaway

Credit: Geoffrey Doughlin

Today we are pleased to welcome Linda Dahl to CLC. Her latest novel, Tiny Vices, is now available and it sounds fascinating! We enjoyed learning more about Linda and this novel and we hope you will too. Thanks to Caitlin Hamilton Marketing & Publicity, we have TWO copies to give away!

Linda Dahl began her career as a travel journalist and college teacher before turning to writing full time. An award-winning author, she has written groundbreaking books about women in jazz and women’s needs in recovery from addiction, as well as six works of fiction. She has been widely interviewed in print, at conferences, and on NPR and BBC programs and other radio stations (including a 2023 3-hour presentation on WKCR about women in jazz.) She has also co-produced several New York jazz concerts. She is a member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Jazz Studies. Soul on Soul, her screenplay about legendary pianist Mary Lou Williams, was a finalist for the Sundance Episodic Lab in 2020. Her latest novel, Tiny Vices, is now available from She Writes Press. She lives in New York City. Visit Linda at her website.

Synopsis:

Mid-life: Its obligations and demands, its petty foibles and evasions. And sometimes, its crises. Dreams are deferred, shortcomings rationalized. Like favorite old clothes, petty misdemeanors may feel comfortable, but they’re not a good look.

The Talley siblings are planning a family beach vacation—all four of them together for the first time in years. They suspect it will be their last. And God knows they all need a vacation. But wait, is it really such a good idea? Corina, with her recently diagnosed Alzheimer’s, can hardly manage to get through a day without a debacle. Pete is a just-barely-walking catalog of medical calamities stemming from his longtime addictions. Becca is reeling from her teenage son’s latest misadventure. And then there is Kathy, the eldest. After firmly avoiding going back to Rincón Bay, the beach town just a few hours south of the Arizona–Mexico border that has haunted her since a college spring break trip three decades ago, she’s determined to go back and face her ghosts—though she might be better off facing the fact that her marriage is in serious trouble.

When the Talley siblings and their entourage (two spouses, added on at the last minute, and Corina’s Mexican housekeeper/caregiver) finally land in Rincón Bay, they all encounter unexpected consequences from the wounds inflicted by careless loving—but maybe, too, the seeds of healing and hope. (Courtesy of Amazon.)

“Siblings take a last-gasp vacation to Mexico in Dahl’s novel....There’s a lot of complexity crammed into this fairly brief story, and the realism is impressive . . .”
—Kirkus Reviews

“. . . a wise novel about navigating midlife . . .”
—Foreword Reviews

“. . . a feisty, well-written tale of present-day adult siblings. . . .The plot twists and character development will keep readers turning the pages, and maybe even see a bit of themselves in some of the sibling interactions. A very worthwhile book to read.”
—StoryCircle Book Reviews

What is a favorite compliment you received on your writing?
I like a review on Amazon for my last novel, An Upside-Down Sky: “Fast paced. Riveting. Hilarious. Pitiful. The author had me from page 1. A great story about human conflict and love.”

Side note: This novel was reviewed at CLC a few years ago.

What were the biggest rewards and challenges with writing Tiny Vices?
The biggest challenge for me in writing Tiny Vices was that, in focusing mostly on the petty failings and resentments of a group of siblings and their loved ones, I sensed how easily the story could fall into cliché or triviality. The reward? When I let the characters take the lead and attempt to forgive and accept each other and past hurts in the course of their day-to-day living.     

If Tiny Vices were made into a movie, who would you cast in the leading roles?
It’s a big cast! First, the three Talley sisters: I’d love to see Parker Posey play oldest sister Kathy Talley, Chloe Sevigny as the middle sister Corina (recently diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s), and Jenna Fischer as the youngest sister, Becca. Christian Slater would be great as Pete, their brother and Daniel Kaluuya as Kathy Talley’s husband, Bernard Barris Junior. Finally, Selena Gomez would play Imalia, Corina’s Mexican housekeeper.

What is the last movie you saw that you would recommend?
I’m Still Here (Ainda Estou Aqui), a Brazilian film about a woman who is an ordinary wife and mother of five until the violently repressive military dictatorship, which ruled with an iron fist in Brazil from 1964 to 1981. After her husband is one of the many thousands who are “disappeared” by the military, she reinvents herself, becoming a courageous lawyer and activist. 

If your life was a TV series, which celebrity would you want to narrate it? 
Jamie Lee Curtis would be my first choice. Like me, she is open about being a longtime recovered alcoholic/substance abuser - a through-line in both of our lives. She would “get” the before and after parts just right, I think. 

If we were to visit you right now, what are some places you would take us to see?
I live in New York City at the northern tip of the Bronx next to the Hudson River. We have beautiful paths along the river for walks or biking, and beautiful gardens nearby. We would go to Wave Hill, with its incomparable views of the river and magnificent old trees and gardens. Then on to Untermyer Gardens in nearby north Yonkers, which boasts a beautiful walled Persian garden, an amphitheater and a stunning mosaic reflecting pool. Hungry now? Let’s go to my favorite restaurant in Riverdale, Tobala, which takes Oaxacan-Mexican cuisine to a new high level.  

Thanks to Linda for visiting with us and to Caitlin Hamilton Marketing 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. 

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Giveaway ends July 27th at midnight EST.

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