Book Review: One in a Million

By Sara Steven

Annie Higgins has given up on love: she’s too busy trying to get her tiny business off the ground. Infuriated by the advertising agency across the hall making fun of her job, Annie accepts their crazy challenge – to make a random stranger Instagram-famous in just thirty days.

And even when they choose Dr Samuel Page PhD, historian and hater of social media, as her target, Annie’s determined to win the bet – whether Sam likes it or not.

But getting to know Sam means getting to know more about herself. And before the thirty days are out, Annie has to make a decision about what’s really important… (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads)

Reminiscent of My Fair Lady and She’s All That, but in reverse, one of the biggest draws to One in a Million is the gradual transformation that happens for Sam, as well an Annie. At first, there’s the expectation of witnessing a geek to chic moment, that Sam will morph into a babelicious swan after spending many years of his life as an introverted ugly duckling. Yet, along for the ride are Annie’s own insecurities and baggage, giving her the opportunity to delve deeper into where’s she’s at in her own life and why she’s not as satisfied as she could be in her relationships.

I appreciated the dialogue between Annie and Sam, and the rest of the supporting characters. It felt natural, like meeting up with my own friends and having various conversations. Annie was sharp-witted and held her own against Sam, who wouldn’t let anything slide. He reminded me of the grumpy neighbor next door, who ultimately has a heart of gold, while Annie reminded me of the plucky heroine who refuses to give up, even when the world as she knows it begins to crumble around her. For all the fun of Million, there were serious undertones that paralleled it. The struggle to make it in an industry that hasn’t been very welcoming to her, not sure if she’ll be able to make rent at any given moment. Or, the fact that her last romantic relationship ended in disaster, feeding into a lot of her insecurities. The struggles are told in such a way that are felt, and recognized, without creating a heavy blanket of despair. It doesn’t deflect from the original goal of Annie winning a challenge, while Sam has his own ulterior motives on why he’d ever agree to the stipulations of the bet.

This was one of those reads where I found it hard to put it down, and stop reading. Mostly because of the chemistry, mostly because I wanted to find out what would happen to Annie and Sam, whether she’d win her bet, whether he’d become the man he eventually discovers he’s wanted to be all along. But the biggest reason would be the old adage, “don’t judge a book by its cover.” The premise of Million is that there is so much more to a person than meets the eye, and while Annie and Sam discover that about each other and about themselves on a personal level, I was along for the discovery, too. A much-deserving five star read, right here.

Thanks to Harper360 for the book in exchange for an honest review.

More by Lindsey Kelk:

Jacquelyn Middleton's Top Five of 2018...plus a book giveaway

We're pleased to have Jacquelyn Middleton back at CLC to tell us her top five happy moments of 2018. Her latest novel, Until the Last Star Fades published last month. Thanks to BookSparks, we have one copy to give away!

Jacquelyn Middleton is the award-winning author of LONDON BELONGS TO ME, LONDON, CAN YOU WAIT? and UNTIL THE LAST STAR FADES.



LONDON BELONGS TO ME (a contemporary coming-of-age story) won an honorable mention in the mainstream/literary fiction category of the 25th Annual Writer's Digest Self-Published Book Awards, and LONDON, CAN YOU WAIT? (contemporary romance) captured the GOLD prize in the ROMANCE category of the 2018 Independent Publisher Book Awards. UNTIL THE LAST STAR FADES, her latest novel, blurs the line between women's fiction and contemporary romance.

Jacquelyn is also a national award-winning freelance writer with articles published by several of the most popular magazines, newspapers, and websites in North America including USA Today, Canadian Living, Best Health, National Geographic Travel, Psychology Today, The Toronto Star, Reader's Digest, Chatelaine, Today's Parent, and Flare.

She previously worked in television broadcasting and lives in Toronto with her British husband, however, she spends much of her time in London, walking in the footsteps of her characters, hanging out with friends and family, going to plays, and soaking up the atmosphere in her favourite neighborhoods. (Bio courtesy of Amazon.)

Visit Jacquelyn online:
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram

Synopsis:
In her senior year at NYU, Riley Hope appears to be on top of the world. With a loving mother who makes Lorelai Gilmore look like a parenting slacker, ride-or-die friends, and a long-time boyfriend destined for the National Hockey League, she puts on a smile for the world. But behind it, Riley’s drowning. Racked with fears for the future, she battles to stay afloat amid life in the shadows of a heartbreaking illness.

And then, Ben Fagan comes crashing into her life. Twenty-three-years-old, British, and alone in the Big Apple after a disastrous pilot season in LA, the struggling actor is looking for an escape: booze, mischief, sex—minimum commitment, maximum fun—anything to avoid returning across the pond.

As they form an unlikely bond, Riley keeps her reality from Ben so that he remains a happy refuge. But how long can she hold back the truth…and is Ben keeping his own secrets, too? (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

Five Happy Things that Happened to Me in 2018

1. Visiting the Orkney Islands

Do you have a place you’ve always wanted to visit? For me, that’s Orkney, an archipelago of 70 islands off the northern coast of Scotland. Not only is Orkney home to 5,000-year-old Neolithic treasures: standing stone circles (eat your heart out, Outlander), burial tombs, and Skara Brae—a preserved Stone Age village dating back to 3,200 BC (yep, it’s older than Egypt’s pyramids), but it’s also my ancestral home. My great grandparents came to Canada from Orkney, and as a genealogy geek, visiting my Scottish/Norse homeland has topped my bucket list for years. And it exceeded my expectations. I visited the homes my ancestors built and lived in, gasped in awe at history you can actually reach out and touch, and shed a few tears at my family’s seaside graves. Truly life-changing, and I cannot wait to go back.

2. My second novel won an international gold medal

The notification sat in my spam folder for three weeks! It took a phone call and a voicemail message to alert me—London, Can You Wait?, my second contemporary novel, had won the gold medal for romance at the 2018 Independent Publisher Book Awards. Would I come to the award ceremony in New York City in late May? A celebration of books including mine? Do you really have to ask? It was an incredible experience accepting a gold medal, seeing my book cover up on the screen beside books by my peers, and celebrating in Times Square…I was (and still am) so grateful.

3. Until the Last Star Fades was published

All my books are a labour of love, but Until the Last Star Fades is really personal. It’s a slow-burn, friends to lovers story set in New York City about Riley Hope (a college senior struggling with depression), and Ben Fagan (a flirty Scottish actor afraid to go home). I didn’t attend NYU or fall in love with a failed Brit actor, but my novel’s parallel storyline about Riley’s loving relationship with her mom, Maggie, came from my heart. Maggie deals with heartbreaking health challenges that shadow Riley’s happiness and future. In writing their story arc, I pulled from my own experiences with my mom. I can’t lie. I cried while writing this story so many times, reliving emotions and events. They felt so raw all over again. This book also gave me the opportunity to write honestly about smiling depression, a mental health issue I deal with daily that few people understand.

4. I finally met my friend Kristin

Kristin and I became friends first on Instagram, sharing a love of books and all things British. Kristin’s a published author, too, and her novel The Legacy of Us is one of my favourites. She also runs Royally Broke, my go-to website for all things British royalty. A trip to New York City meant we could finally meet—and we had a blast! We wandered around the Strand bookstore (aka, the mothership), stuffed our faces at DŌ in Greenwich Village, and laughed our way through Kinky Boots on Broadway. I was so happy to see she’s just as funny and warm in person as she is online. I can’t wait to hang out again—she’s absolutely wonderful.

5. A Grey’s Anatomy star shared my book on social media

I did a crazy happy dance when I was told that Katherine Heigl, star of Grey’s Anatomy, Roswell, and Suits shared Until the Last Star Fades on her social media feed and her beautiful website, Heavenly Days. Her unboxing, her holding MY BOOK, saying its name…I was a giddy mess for the rest of the day! Things like this don’t happen to indie authors like me. Then, a few days later, Until the Last Star Fades appeared in The Hollywood Reporter magazine in their column about books that should be made into movies. I’m still smiling!

Thanks to Jacquelyn for chatting with us and BookSparks 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 December 11th at midnight EST.

Book Review: Unreasonable Doubts

By Sara Steven

Jaded New York City Public Defender Liana Cohen would give anything to have one client in whom she can believe. Dozens of hardened criminals and repeat offenders have chipped away at her faith in both herself and the system. Her boyfriend Jakob’s high-powered law firm colleagues see her do-gooder job as a joke, which only adds to the increasing strain in their relationship.

Enter imprisoned felon Danny Shea, whose unforgivable crime would raise a moral conflict in an attorney at the height of her idealism―and that hasn't been Liana in quite a while. But Danny's astonishing blend of good looks, intelligence, and vulnerability intrigues Liana. Could he be the client she’s been longing for―the wrongly accused in need of a second chance? Is he innocent? As their attorney-client relationship transforms into something less than arm’s length, Liana is forced to confront fundamental questions of truth, faith, and love―and to decide who she wants to be. (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.)

I imagine it must be difficult to create a character like Danny Shea, a man accused of something so horrific, yet the makeup of who he is makes him likeable and in some ways, relatable. Gentin has created the perfect antagonist in Shea, leaving her readers feeling mixed emotions when it comes to the validity of who he is and whether he’s innocent or not.

For Liana, she’s experiencing the same insecurities. I felt the struggle she faces in wanting to find her purpose again, in the work she does and the people she represents. When Danny becomes her latest case, it’s too good to be true, lending into her doubts on whether he’s truly innocent or not. Thrown into the mix is her boyfriend Jakob, someone she used to view as her counterpart, only now his views are so vastly different from her own, holes shine through the veneer of their relationship.

Unreasonable Doubts is a cleverly written crime drama, blended in with mystery, intrigue and romance. While I’m not a usual fan of crime dramas, I was a huge fan of this one. I appreciate how knowledgeable Liana is in her job, letting us know every step of the way the legalities and the process that goes into being a public defender. I never felt lost or unsure of what was going on in the courtroom, or outside of it, where Liana’s feelings for Jakob and Danny are concerned. Should she continue forth with the life she’s been living, whether it makes her happy or not, or should she dive into the murky depths of new-found emotions that her new client brings out in her? It’s in the not knowing that really adds to the delightful romantic suspense of this novel.

Thanks to Caitlin Hamilton Marketing & Publicity for the book in exchange for an honest review.

Teri Wilson's Top Five of 2018...plus a book giveaway

We're pleased to welcome Teri Wilson to CLC today to kick off our Happiness theme for the month. We're asking everyone to tell us the top five things that made them happy in 2018. Teri should definitely be happy today because she is celebrating the publication of her latest novel, The Accidental Beauty Queen. Gallery Books has THREE copies for some lucky readers!

Teri Wilson is the author/creator of the Hallmark Channel Original Movies UNLEASHING MR. DARCY, MARRYING MR. DARCY, THE ART OF US and NORTHERN LIGHTS OF CHRISTMAS, based on her book SLEIGH BELL SWEETHEARTS. She is a double finalist for the prestigious RITA Award for excellence in romantic fiction for her novels THE PRINCESS PROBLEM and ROYALLY WED. She has a major weakness for cute animals, pretty dresses and Audrey Hepburn films, and she loves following the British royal family. Feel free to visit and connect with her at her website and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. (Bio courtesy of Teri's website.)

Synopsis:
Charlotte Gorman loves her job as an elementary school librarian, and is content to experience life through the pages of her books. Which couldn’t be more opposite from her identical twin sister. Ginny, an Instagram-famous beauty pageant contestant, has been chasing a crown since she was old enough to enunciate the words world peace, and she’s not giving up until she gets the title of Miss American Treasure. And Ginny’s refusing to do it alone this time.

She drags Charlotte to the pageant as a good luck charm, but the winning plan quickly goes awry when Ginny has a terrible, face-altering allergic reaction the night before the pageant, and Charlotte suddenly finds herself in a switcheroo the twins haven’t successfully pulled off in decades.

Woefully unprepared for the glittery world of hair extensions, false eyelashes, and push-up bras, Charlotte is mortified at every unstable step in her sky-high stilettos. But as she discovers there’s more to her fellow contestants than just wanting a sparkly crown, Charlotte realizes she has a whole new motivation for winning. (Courtesy of Amazon.)

Five good things that happened in 2018

1. My son is an English teacher in Seoul, South Korea, and in September, my husband and I went to visit him for a week. It was so much fun! Of course it was great to spend time Cameron, but it was also really fascinating to visit Korea. It’s a beautiful country and the people are very nice. My favorite part of the trip was dressing in traditional Korean clothes (called hanbok) and visiting the XXX Palace in Seoul.

2. I was lucky enough to be involved with the making of two Hallmark Channel Original Movies during 2018! In June, the movie Marrying Mr. Darcy was a sequel to the 2016 production of Unleashing Mr. Darcy, based on my book of the same name. And on December 15, Northern Lights of Christmas premieres on the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Channel. This movie is inspired by my book Sleigh Bell Sweethearts, about a pilot heroine who inherits a reindeer farm in Alaska shortly before Christmas. I was able to travel to Canada to be on set for both films, which was beyond exciting.

3. Last summer, two of my books (Royally Wed and The Princess Problem) were finalists for the Romance Writers of America RITA award for excellence in romantic fiction. I’d never been a finalist before, so it was really a career high for me.

4. I started a book club this year! Several of my friends and I get together at a local wine bar once a month to discuss the latest Reese Witherspoon book club pick. We’re all writers, so we always have a lot of opinions. It’s great fun, and it’s also forced me to read books outside of my normal reading routine.

5. As this year draws to a close, I’m completing my term as president of San Antonio Romance Authors. It’s been a really rewarding time of encouragement and being a cheerleader for other writers.

Thanks to Teri for visiting with us and to Gallery 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 December 9th at midnight EST.

Holly Jolly Chick Lit Hop

The holidays are just around the corner, which means it's time for Chick Lit Chat HQ's annual Holly Jolly Chick Lit Hop and this year it's bigger and better than ever! 63 bestselling and award-winning authors in the Chick Lit and Romantic Comedy genres are participating in this fun-filled event and each one is doing a fantastic giveaway. Books, author swag, gift cards, and other assorted holiday treats are all up for grabs.

But wait! There's much, much more. On the hop's Facebook group page, you can enter to win our Grand Prize—a large holiday gift box filled to the brim with a fabulous variety of holiday and winter-themed goodies (the darling, KitschNStyle gingerbread house apron, Snoozies! sherpa socks, Calvin Klein cashmere pom-pom beanie in petal pink, Too Faced sugar cookie eye shadow purse palette, Sally Snowflakes mug by Bella Pilar, Well Read Women: A Reader's Journal, and handmade chocolate soaps shown in the graphic below are just a few of the items included in the box!).

We'll also be handing out four Runner-Up Prizes. Each one is a pair of Fitz & Floyd holiday mugs that will be accompanied by a canister of Williams-Sonoma classic hot chocolate as well as a tin of The Republic of Tea's Hallmark Channel Countdown to Christmas Tea. So, you'll have delicious, warm beverages to keep you cozy all winter long!

The celebration runs from Monday, Dec. 3rd through Sunday, Dec. 9th, so head on over to the Holly Jolly Chick Lit Hop Facebook group for some lively conversation with both authors and readers, incredible prizes, and lots of holiday fun! You'll find each day's featured authors, along with the links to their pages/giveaways, in the pinned post at the top of the group. We look forward to seeing you there!

*The Grand Prize giveaway is open to US residents only. However, all of the individual author giveaways and the Runner-Up Prize giveaway are open internationally.

What's in the mail

Melissa A:
Swimming for Sunlight by Allie Larkin from Atria (e-book via NetGalley)
The Inbetween Days by Eva Woods from Graydon House (e-book via NetGalley)
How to Be Second Best by Jessica Dettman from HarperCollins AU (e-book via NetGalley)
Hangovers and Hot Flashes by/from Kim Gruenenfelder
I'm Fine and Neither Are You by Camille Pagan from Lake Union
The Dream Peddler by Martine Fournier Watson from Viking
Lost Roses by Martha Hall Kelly from Ballantine (e-book via NetGalley)

Sara:
Just After Midnight by Catherine Ryan Hyde from Lake Union (e-book via Netgalley)

Jami:
The Suspect by Fiona Barton from Berkley (e-book via Netgalley)
Sophie Last Seen by Marlene Adelstein from Suzy Approved Book Tours (e-book)

Book Review: Not Just for Christmas

By Becky Gulc

‘Charlie hates the holidays, and this year is shaping up to be her worst yuletide ever. Her boyfriend has left her for his personal trainer, her flat is out of bounds after a gas leak, and her mother has gone to spend Christmas in Melbourne with her fifth husband. Finding herself single, mildly concussed and temporarily homeless, Charlie hesitantly agrees to dust off her wellies and spend the festive season in Devon, looking after Cosy Canine Cottages, her cousin Jez's dog-care centre.

However, her plans for a quiet rural Christmas with only the four-legged friends for company are dashed as soon as she meets Malcolm the deaf Great Dane, Hugo, his gorgeous (but engaged) owner, and Cal, the undeniably attractive but unbearably haughty and patronising local vet...’ (Synopsis courtesy of Orion Publishing.)

I’m a dog-person. I’m a Christmas-person. I was sold by the cover and the synopsis for Not Just for Christmas, but would this novel live up to my early expectations? Absolutely! This is a novel which really delivers what it promises and it was a great book to read in the early build-up to Christmas.

Charlie is someone who dislikes more things about Christmas than she likes, someone who doesn’t care much for dogs. So the book lends itself to great comedy moments when she finds herself recuperating (at least in theory) at her cousin’s place in Devon who runs a kennel, only for her cousin to take a last minute Christmas break and leave Charlie in charge of things. But with only a couple of dogs to care for, surely it will be easy? And Charlie will surely get lots of alone time, just her and Audrey Hepburn over Christmas won’t she? Not quite.

This book was a lot of fun, very funny and I whizzed through it; pure reading pleasure. I felt like I was at the cottage too and pictured it vividly. I loved how Charlie throws herself into things full-throttle, caring for the dogs (even if she taps into new acquaintances for some tasks..she’s a sensible woman!); getting to know the locals; not saying no when she really should! All the characters were great, human and canine! There are quite a few dogs to get to know and I adored each of them, it would be impossible not to warm to these doggies.

Christmas felt natural in this novel. It was inviting, engaging and you feel love in the air and are urging something to come of it for Charlie as she’s such a likable and no-nonsense character. I truly adored this book and would love to read more featuring these characters, and more of Jez (Charlie’s cousin) as I could see potential for a follow-up there definitely. More please Natalie.

Thanks to Orion Publishing for the book in exchange for an honest review. Visit all the stops on Natalie's tour.