Book Review: Thank You for Sharing

By Allyson Bales

Daniel Rosenberg and Liyah Cohen-Jackson’s last conversation—fourteen years ago at summer camp—ended their friendship. Until they find themselves seated next to each other on a plane, and bitterly pick up right where they left off. At least they can go their separate ways again after landing...

That is, until Daniel's marketing firm gets hired by the Chicago museum where Liyah works as a junior curator, and they’re forced to collaborate with potential career changing promotions on the line.

With every meeting and post-work social gathering with colleagues, the tension (and chemistry) between Daniel and Liyah builds until they’re forced to confront why they broke apart years ago at camp. But as they find comfort in their shared experiences as Jews of color and fumble towards friendship, can they ignore their growing feelings for each other?

With sexy charm and undeniable wit, Rachel Runya Katz's sparkling debut, Thank You For Sharing, proves that if you're open to love, anything is possible. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

Speakeasy Survival Club #17 Meeting Notes

Secretary:  Allyson

Siobhan:  amazing Irish graphic artist 
Daniel:   cinnamon roll, thoughtful
Jordan:  rock climber and Daniel’s BFF
Liyah:  salty and then she’s sweet

Rule Addition: 12:  You MUST read this book! 

Additional notes: Thank you so much Rachel Runya Katz for allowing me to read this wonderful story and meet these characters!

What an amazing debut! I definitely hope it is part of a series!  I need to know what happens to the characters and miss them already!  There is amazing diversity and representation in this book and I fell in love with these vivacious 20 somethings!  I am older than that but Liyah, Daniel, Siobhan, and Jordan were relatable and so fun and reading this reminded me so much of my twenties. 

Liyah and Daniel met at sleepaway camp many years ago and had a falling out.  They meet again years later and the meet cute is a DISASTER, but I loved it!  Liyah is sassy and prickly and Daniel is softer and sweet and their dynamic had me laughing out loud and making heart eyes.  I have never been to a sleepaway camp but my best friend has and to this day still talks to her friends that she met there.  Have you been?  This book made me want to go back in time and beg my parents to let me go!  

I loved Liyah and Daniel’s friendships.  I loved Jordan and Siobhan’s support and really hope to read more about what ends up happening to them!  Together with Daniel and Liyah, they start the Speakeasy Survival Club where they get to vent, gossip, and support one another.  Found family is so special in books and I think we all need more of that.  A safe place to really be yourself with friends you call family is so important.

Katz does an amazing job of writing such a layered story.  There are subplots that I really enjoyed, especially centering around Liyah’s job as an exhibition developer/designer and her goal to become a curator.  Liyah works at the Field Museum in Chicago and I have always wanted to go there.  It was interesting to learn about what is done to keep museums running and functioning.  I also really loved the way Katz explored more sensitive topics.  As a mental health therapist, I found the representation of the therapeutic process very relatable.  I loved the healing journey that was showcased in this book!  

If you love a slow burn romance with a dual point of view and fun friends you can’t get enough of, read this book immediately!  Rachel, please write us more!

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for the book in exchange for an honest review. Purchase Thank You For Sharing here.

Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by following us.

Listen to this book on Speechify!

AJ Pearce has found her calling...plus a book giveaway

Credit: Jenny Smith

We are pleased to welcome AJ Pearce to CLC today. Her latest novel, Mrs. Porter Calling, released last month. It's part of a series but can be read as a standalone. Thanks to Scribner Publicity, we have THREE copies to give away!

AJ Pearce grew up in Hampshire, England. She studied at the University of Sussex and Northwestern University. A chance discovery of a 1939 women’s magazine became the inspiration for her series The Emmy Lake Chronicles, which also includes Dear Mrs. Bird and Yours Cheerfully. She lives in the south of England.

Visit AJ online:
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram

Synopsis:
London, April 1943. Young Emmy Lake is doing her part in the war effort by spearheading the “Yours Cheerfully” column, a hugely popular advice column in Woman’s Friend magazine. The postbags are full, and Woman’s Friend is thriving. Cheered on by her best friend Bunty and missing her husband, Captain Charles Mayhew, as he’s away fighting, Emmy is dedicated to helping readers face the increasing challenges brought about by over three years of war.

But in Mrs. Porter Calling, Emmy’s world is turned upside down when glamorous socialite, the Honorable Mrs. Cressida Porter, becomes the new publisher of the magazine, and wants to change everything readers love. Aided by Mrs. Pye, a Paris-obsessed fashion editor with delusions of grandeur, and Small Winston, the grumpiest dog in London, Mrs. Porter fills the pages with expensive clothes and frivolous articles about her friends. Worst of all, she announces that she is cutting the “Yours Cheerfully” column as it's not the magazine’s responsibility to deal with the reader’s problems. Her vision for the publication’s future seems dire and Emmy becomes determined to fight back.

Emmy and her friends must find a way to save the magazine they love, but can they rescue Women’s Friend while juggling the real implications of war-torn London and personal tragedy?

Perfect for book clubs and fans of The Paris Library and Lessons in Chemistry, Mrs. Porter Calling, a standalone novel with continuing characters, is a beacon for anyone who’s ever experienced the frustration of a nasty boss and for those who’ve experienced loss, heartbreak, or hardship and found comfort in their chosen families. It’s all at once heartwarming, funny, and uplifting, and serves as a moving tribute to friendship.

“Clear a space on the shelf reserved for your favorite comfort books. Mrs. Porter Calling is the rare novel that manages to be deep as it is delightful. Funny, endearing, heartbreaking, and uplifting – it’s a thoroughly entrancing story about friendship, work, and finding the best in life, even during the worst of times.”
—Nina de Gramont, author of The Christie Affair

“Immersive... Pearce enhances the [story] with lively characters, showing how they find joy in simple pleasures and humor in the face of loss.” 

—Publishers Weekly

What is a favorite compliment you have received on your writing?
I love it when readers say that my writing has made them laugh and cry, and that they feel as if the characters are real people. That’s a wonderful compliment.

If you could tell the debut novelist version of yourself one thing, what would it be?
Know your characters well enough and they’ll come up with story lines for you. That sounds a bit mad, but the better I know them the more I understand what they care about and what they’ll really fight for to make a good book.

If Mrs. Porter Calling was made into a movie, who would you cast in the leading roles?
Someone said to me the other day that Jenna Coleman would be wonderful as Emmy Lake which I think is a brilliant idea. Rachel Weisz would be perfect as Monica Edwards who is super cool and a mentor figure for Emmy. Bridgerton’s Jonathan Bailey and Luke Thompson would both be lovely as Charles, or if the film could wait a few years, his older brother Guy.

What is the last movie you saw that you would recommend?
100% Barbie. I loved it. We’re all going again this week.

If your life were a TV series, which celebrity would you want to narrate it? 
Sir David Attenborough: “There, just visible in the distance as she eats a packet of chocolate chip cookies, is that most elusive animal of all – the author hiding from her editor having just missed a really important deadline.”

What is your favorite autumn beverage?
Hot chocolate in a huge mug with marshmallows on the top. Which in my house is totally acceptable during any season!

Thanks to AJ for visiting with us and to Scribner 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. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway ends September 19th at midnight EST.

Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by following us.

Listen to this book on Speechify!

Book Review: A Storm of Infinite Beauty

By Allyson Bales

Scarlett Fontaine is a true Hollywood legend—a singer, actress, and beloved fashion icon. But Scarlett dies tragically at just thirty-six years old, leaving behind no children. Or so the story goes…

Gwen Hollingsworth is the curator at a museum dedicated to Scarlett’s life. She’s also sole heir to Scarlett’s fortune as a descendant of the star. But all is not well in Gwen’s world. She’s dealing with a messy marital separation and is struggling to move forward. So when Peter Miller, a biographer and photojournalist, comes to the museum with shocking claims about Scarlett—a life of exile in Alaska, a baby born in secret—Gwen’s whole world is turned upside down. Again.

Determined to uncover the truth, Gwen and Peter set out for Alaska together but soon find themselves on a path toward something far deeper and more meaningful than either of them ever expected.

A Storm of Infinite Beauty takes readers on a breathtaking journey from a lush vineyard in Nova Scotia to a rustic lodge in Alaska where old family secrets are revealed and the quest for true happiness begins. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

Well I just finished going down a rabbit hole about the earthquake in Valdez Alaska on March 27th, 1964 and WOW.  Julianne MacLean opens this story with an account of that day that completely grips you and pulls you into the story right away.  I also recently returned from a two week road trip with my wife where we traveled through Nova Scotia and found myself visualizing a lot of the places we had seen while reading this beautiful story.

A Storm of Infinite Beauty introduces us to Gwen, a thoughtful woman suffering through some of her own personal tragedy, who runs the Scarlett Fontaine Museum.  The Museum is dedicated to Gwen’s distant relative, Scarlett, who passed away when she was only thirty-six.  Peter Miller, a notorious Hollywood paparazzi, is interested in writing a story about Scarlett’s life.  Together Gwen and Peter take a journey to Alaska to find out what happened to Scarlett.  

Immediately I was immersed in this story.  MacLean’s writing transforms you right onto the page as if you are there with the characters.  The descriptions of Alaska are so enthralling and have now made Alaska one of my top places to visit. I also enjoyed the way the story was structured and was captivated by it being told in three parts with dual timelines. 

I found this to be a combination of women’s fiction and mystery.  Gwen is a character I immediately connected with and was rooting for.  She has been through some difficult things and I love that she uses music to cope and feel understood.  I don’t know about you but music that makes me feel seen and understood is so helpful to me.  I love that she listens to Scarlett’s music as a way to process.  To follow along on Gwen’s journey was very powerful and will resonate with so many readers.  Peter also really grew on me.  What he shared about his experience with being a paparazzi was very interesting.  In a time where paparazzi have such a reputation it was interesting to get a more human view of their work. 

This is my first read by Juilanne MacLean and I did not know what an amazing backlist she has!  She is definitely going to be an author I read more from and really recommend her stories if you love women's fiction with captivating and descriptive story telling!  

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

More by Julianne MacLean:

Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by following us.

Listen to this book on Speechify!

Spotlight and Giveaway: This Time Could Be Different

Today we are celebrating the publication of Khristin Wierman's sophomore novel, This Time Could Be Different. Eat Pray Love meets Office Space; perfect for fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid. Thanks to BookSparks, we have one copy for a lucky reader!

Madeline is a compulsive overachiever, which is why at forty-nine years old, she is the senior vice president of a prominent bank. This bleeds into every aspect of her life, from her skincare routine to her devotion to being always available. She works with her best friend, Emma, who is juggling her own chaotic life: career, marriage, and motherhood to a teenage daughter. Both women have nothing but opportunity ahead of them. There’s a problem, though – Madeline is miserable.

So, she sets out on a mission to find purpose in her life and untangle the roots of the habits she wants to change. She reluctantly tries yoga, meditation, and other suggestions from her new age-y therapist. It feels like she’s risking everything, but that just might be what it takes for her to find fulfillment.

(Trigger warning at the bottom of this post.)

“There are plenty of laugh-wince moments to enjoy in this novel...Both an insightful depiction of therapy supporting growth and a dead-on skewering of corporate culture.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Khristin Wierman has put on the boxing gloves and taken out the meditation candle to delve into the underbelly of the workplace and the choices it forces women to make. This thought-provoking page-turner captures the very real drama of working in corporate America as a woman.” 
—Arielle Eckstut, co-creator of America’s Next Great Author

Credit: Ben Krantz Studio

Khristin Wierman spent twenty years rising through the marketing ranks of Fortune 500 companies, building a career that was lucrative, ego-boosting, and a little bit soul-crushing. So she quit―and then had no idea what to do with her life. Writing novels ensued. Born and raised in a small East Texas town—which means she came into this world a Dallas Cowboys fan and ardently believes “y’all” is a legitimate pronoun—Khristin enjoys playing golf with her husband and stepson, poker, yoga, chocolate, the Golden State Warriors, and the daily adventure of life with an adorably imperfect cat named Rocco. She lives in San Francisco, California. Visit Khristin at her website and on Instagram.

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. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway ends September 17th at midnight EST.

Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by following us.

Listen to this book on Speechify!

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

TW: Language, childhood emotional abuse and trauma, verbal abuse

Book Review: Not in a Billion Years

By Sara Steven

She's a self-made fitness sensation. He's a billionaire mogul. They're sworn enemies and rivals... aren't they?

Blake Avery knows all about hard work. She’s gone from making videos in her teenage bedroom to founding a booming fitness business and opening a state-of-the-art Manhattan gym. Now she’s on the cusp of realizing her wildest dreams, and she’s not going to let anyone stand in her way. Certainly not man-of-the-hour Gabriel Mercer.

He might be one of the biggest names in the fitness world and set women’s pulses soaring more than a grueling HIIT workout, but he grew up in a billionaire dynasty and had everything handed to him – or so Blake thinks.

But when Blake publicly criticizes Gabriel, she sparks a feud that neither entrepreneur is willing to back down from. And in an industry that seems determined to keep pushing them together, can Blake hold on to her grudge? Or will she finally warm up to Gabriel's charm? (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.)

Not in a Billion Years is such a fun read! I really enjoy contrasting characters who find common ground, much like the relationship between Blake and Gabriel. Blake has plenty of reasons to despise certain men who have everything handed to them, considering past experiences she’s had, while Gabriel has immediate false impressions of who Blake really is, since so much of what she has accumulated comes from her connections on social media. 

Both individuals have worked hard to get to where they are in life, but there is so much judgment on either side, it makes for some pretty heavy-handed rivalry. Luckily, the rivalry is hysterical and creates some pretty amazing banter moments between the two. I loved the back and forth–when Blake thinks she’s scored one for her side, yet Gabriel gets her back just as hard. It’s an obviously veiled way to flirt with one another, but neither will let the other know that they know that the other one knows…or something like that. 

I’m a self-professed fitness enthusiast, so the synopsis really was attractive to me, but the book isn’t heavy-handed or pushes any sort of agenda. Anyone who enjoys two witty characters who develop a slow burn of feelings for one another will appreciate this story. The fact that they’re both engrossed in the fitness world only lends into everything, since they’re both so sure that their way is the best way to run a business. If only they’d see that what Gabriel needs, Blake is well versed in, and vice versa, could it make their relationship less rocky. Both characters are stubborn, though–it adds to the flavor of who Blake and Gabriel are together.

When Blake goes out on a limb with her business, and Gabriel does what she considers to be the unthinkable–I wasn’t sure what would happen. I could completely identify with how Blake feels, considering how hard she has worked to get to where she is, completely without outside assistance. But sometimes, it’s okay to accept help, which is what Gabriel wants to give. Letting down your guard can be difficult, as both learn throughout their time together, and the reader gets to see the gradual progression of that from both Blake’s and Gabriel’s points of view. Not in a Billion Years gives a unique take on the inner workings of the fitness world and makes it undeniably exciting and fun through Blake and Gabriel’s story. A definite five-star read!

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

Purchase Links:
Amazon US * Amazon UK * Apple * Barnes & Noble

Camilla Isley is an engineer who left science behind to write bestselling contemporary rom-coms set all around the world. She lives in Italy.

Visit Camilla online:
Facebook * Twitter * Instagram 

Sign up for Camilla's newsletter.

Visit all the stops on Camilla's blog tour:

Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by following us.

Listen to this book on Speechify!

Alexandra Potter has some fun confessions...plus a book giveaway

Photo by Rhian Ap Gruffydd

We are so excited to have Alexandra Potter at CLC today! Her latest novel, Confessions of a Forty-Something F**k Up, was adapted into the new hit sitcom Not Dead Yet, which is such a fun and satisfying show. Thanks to HarperCollins, we have three copies to give away!

Yorkshire born and raised, Alexandra Potter currently lives in South-West London with her California husband and their Bosnian rescue dog. When she’s not spending time writing or travelling, Alexandra is getting out into nature, trying not to look at her phone and navigating this thing called mid-life. 

Visit Alexandra online:

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram

Synopsis:

Meet Nell. Her life is a mess.

When her business goes bust and her fiancé with it, Nell's happy ever after in California falls apart and she moves back to London to start over. But a lot has changed since she’s been gone. All her single friends are now married with children, a sky-high real estate market forces her to rent a room in a stranger’s house, and everyone has seemingly perfect Instagram-ready lives. Starting from scratch she feels like a f**k up . . . a forty-something f**k up.     

Landing a job writing obituaries, Nell meets the fabulous Cricket, an 80-something widow with challenges of her own. Together they begin to help each other heal their aching hearts, cope with the loss of the lives they had planned, and push each other into new adventures and joy. With Cricket’s help, Nell is determined to turn her life around. First, though, she has a confession . . .

Laugh-out-loud funny and painfully relatable, Confessions of a Forty-Something F**k Up is a celebration of friendship and a reminder that while life doesn’t always go according to plan, it doesn’t mean you can’t find happiness. (Courtesy of Amazon.)

"Nell’s journey to mid-life happiness is hilarious, moving and filled with cleareyed wisdom about what it means to be a woman of any age, proving that the best happy ever afters come when you fall in love with life." 

~ Lucy Dillon, author, A Hundred Pieces of Me

"I loved this book so much. It’s very funny and painfully true. Confessions of a Forty-Something F*ck Up is perfect comfort reading for anyone who thinks life isn’t working out as they want it too, whether they’re forty, fourteen or eighty-four."  

~ Chrissie Manby, author, Getting Over Mr. Right

What is a favorite compliment you have received on your writing?
The best compliments are the ones that come from my readers. I receive so many wonderful messages from readers via my socials telling me how much they relate to Nell. When someone says that my novel has made them realise they’re not alone in how they feel and that my novel has helped them feel so much better about life, is the greatest compliment of all. 
 
What would you tell the debut novelist version of yourself?
That writing is a marathon not a sprint. There ere are going to be some highs and lows  - some books will fly off the shelves and some won’t - but to stick with it because the best is yet to come! 

When Confessions was made into Not Dead Yet, was the casting what you had envisioned?
As an author, I dream up my characters in my imagination and I never really ’see’ them, I just hear them and feel them. So I was absolutely overjoyed when the casting was announced for the TV show. I absolutely adore Gina Rodriguez who plays Nell and Angela Gibbs who plays Cricket. They bring such warmth, humour and authenticity to their characters. And the rest of the cast is amazing!  I can’t wait for season two!   

What is the last movie you saw that you would recommend?
Barbie! I loved, loved, LOVED it! The character played by America Ferrera gives a speech about how impossible it is to be a woman with all the pressures society places upon you, and it reminded me a lot of how Nell feels, so it really resonated with me - and lots of women. 
 
If your life were a TV series, which celebrity would you want to narrate it? 
Gosh what a great question! Sally Phillips, the wonderfully talented actor who plays Shazza, in the Bridget Jones’ films, narrates the audible version of Confessions of a Forty-Something F**k Up and she’s so amazing, I’d be thrilled if she would narrate my life too. 

What was the last embarrassing moment you had?
I think it probably has to be this summer on vacation in Spain and walking out of the ladies’ bathroom with my dress tucked into my underwear - my sister had to tell me - but only after I’d walked through the entire restaurant to reach our table… sounds like something Nell would do :)  

Thanks to Alexandra for chatting with us and HarperCollins 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. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway ends September 12th at midnight EST.

Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by following us.

Listen to this book on Speechify!

Book Review: With Regrets

By Jami Denison

Ever since The Stepford Wives was published in 1972, readers have known that wealthy white suburbs are a horror of plastic people and their perfect children. Behind the façade hides adultery, gambling, addiction and more. The genre is so popular and persistent that it’s often crossed with other genres—romance, comedy, domestic suspense. Now author Lee Kelly has matched it with sci-fi in her latest novel, With Regrets. In it, a neighborhood dinner party traps snarky suburbanites together as the end of the world arrives. Luckily, one of them is sharing everything on Instagram!

It's a post-COVID world, and Liz Brinkley has just moved from NYC to the upper middle-class suburb, The Falls. Her husband Tom is eager to make friends with his new neighbors, but Liz finds them pretentious, especially “lifestyle influencer” Britta Harris-Che. When Britta sends them a last-minute dinner party invitation, Tom insists that they go—even though it means leaving their grade-school children, Reid and Callie, in the hands of an 11-year-old babysitter. 

The dinner party is miserable—Britta only cares about her Instagram account, and she and her husband keep fighting—and Liz has almost convinced Tom to leave when the unimaginable happens: A “glimmer” in the sky that electrocutes everyone it touches. It isn’t safe to go outside; no one knows exactly how the glimmer is transmitted, and now the ten dinner party guests (plus the chef and sommelier) are trapped, along with Britta’s children. Desperate to get home to her own children, Liz is ready to do almost anything to escape. 

Kelly does a fantastic job of taking an extraordinary premise and moving it from the world of science fiction/horror and plopping it right in suburbia. Her descriptions were so vivid, I found myself afraid to go outside while I was reading it. 

Still, I did have some issues with the book. Kelly starts off with Google alerts, a newspaper article, and emails, which made me think the novel would be completely in this form. I was relieved it wasn’t—I almost put down the book after the series of emails. 

It was also difficult to keep track of all the characters, especially since many of them are (third person) point of view characters. And Britta, in particular, seems almost like a caricature with her obsession with posting and hashtags. She makes the first few chapters seem like a satire. 

Once Kelly kills off a few people and the stakes go sky high, the book hits its stride and doesn’t give up. The crisis sharpens the characters into their true selves, good and bad. There are surprising twists, character development, and an emotionally satisfying ending. The only thing missing was an explanation for the glimmer, but since this book isn’t sci-fi, that made sense.

With Regrets starts with a rough few chapters, but I encourage readers to stick with it. Like good fiction, everything pays off in the end. 

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

More by Lee Kelly:

Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by following us.

Listen to this book on Speechify!