Book Review: The Internet Made Me Do It

Before you read on, get book one for FREE! There are no spoilers here, but you should still read the first book anyway because it's just that much fun! (See our review.)

It’s been forty-three days, seven hours and twenty-six minutes since reporter Avery Fowler last consulted her favourite website, HowTo.com, for advice.

But now—her mouse finger’s getting itchy:

You see, after a year of highs, the lows are coming fast and furious.

Maybe just this one time, she can turn to Clem…

Dear HowTo.com: Is it hacking if it’s my boyfriend’s computer?
Dear HowTo.com: What’s in fashion for S&M: leather or lace?
Dear HowTo.com: Should there be icicles in my turkey?
Dear HowTo.com: Is the definition of “hooker” flexible?

Does Avery have an unhealthy Internet advice dependency? Probably.

But it would never steer her wrong—would it?

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Just when Avery thought she was out, HowTo.com pulled her back in! The romantic comedy, The Internet Made Me Do It is Book 2 in the Avery Fowler 2.0 Series. If you enjoyed BRIDGET JONES' DIARY or CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC, Avery is the woman for you! (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)



Sara Steven:

I realized something, after diving into the second installment in Avery’s world.

I really, really missed her!

She’s the type of character I wish I were friends with in real life. Funny. Charming. Always telling it exactly like it is, even if in doing so, it gets her into all sorts of trouble. I’m amazed at the heap of misadventures and odd-ball situations that Avery often finds herself in. There were so many moments where I felt as though I were witnessing the beginnings of a train wreck, filling me with a need to reach inside the pages and protect her from causing undue harm to herself, yet at the same time I couldn’t look away, and if I were totally honest, I didn’t want to! Those moments were ultimately the best, because there was no way I’d stop reading and not find out what happens to Avery and those around her at every single turn.

I wasn’t sure if the second book could top the first in this series (Dear Internet: It’s Me, Avery). Yet Jennifer Ammoscato proved me wrong. The Internet Made Me Do It was amazing, from start to finish, inspiring me to be crazy free to express myself a little bit more, with a little more gumption, just like Avery would. I’m so glad Avery’s world is a trilogy, because one book would never be enough, and I look forward to reading the third installment, The Internet Never Lies, so I can see what’s in store for our girl!

Melissa Amster:

When this book became available, I replied to the review request by just saying "YES!" And then I pretty much inhaled it as soon as it was sent to my Kindle.

I agree with Sara, that book two is even better than book one. (And topping the original can be hard to do in a sequel.) Avery had me laughing out loud, smiling, cringing, sympathizing, etc. I also agree about wanting Avery around in real life. She'd be so much fun to have as a friend. I love the Confessions of a Shopaholic comparison because Avery reminds me of Becky Bloomwood in some ways.

There are a lot of new adventures and surprises in store for Avery this time around. Get book one now (see above....it's FREE), so you can read this one right away afterward. Kind of like binge-watching a show...you don't want to stop at just one episode. Sara and I had to wait for this one. (Yeah, let that sink in.) You don't. And book three is even available now, so you could just spend a whole weekend with Avery. (Or savor it so you can enjoy more Avery adventures when you really need a pick-me-up. I know we're doing that...but we won't be waiting too long.)

I didn't cast Avery's best friends (or her nemesis) in my last review, so here goes:
Becca: Marguerite Moreau
Jordan: Michelle Monaghan
Harrison: Josh Dallas
Chantal: Kate Hudson

Thanks to Jennifer Ammoscato for the book in exchange for an honest review.

Raise a glass to Kim Gruenenfelder....plus a book giveaway

Introduction and interview by Tracey Meyers

One of the things I enjoy about conducting CLC interviews is when the answers I receive back from an author make me want to sit down with them, in real life, and learn more about them. Kim Gruenenfelder is one of those authors. I can just imagine us sitting down talking about her novels and the website she created (eciah.com) while having a glass (or two) of our favorite wine (as we happen to like the same kind).

In addition to being an accomplished writer in feature films, episodic teleplays and stage plays, Kim has written five novels including her latest Love the Wine You're With (reviewed here). Kim lives in Los Angeles with her husband and son. Visit her at her website, Facebook, and Twitter.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press, we have FIVE copies of Love the Wine You're With to give away!

Synopsis:
Jessie is finally about to realize her life-long goal of owning her own house, the first step to a wonderful marriage, kids, and life with her boyfriend of three years, Kevin; except after they find the perfect place, Kevin suddenly gets cold feet.

Nat is having a passionate affair with her gorgeous British boss Marc—unfortunately, he’s married. Now what?

Holly is an actress who still waits tables to pay the bills, and who is coping with the recent loss of her father. A particularly bad audition, where she snaps and tells off a big director, leads her to wonder what to do when you stop loving what you do. (And also what to do about her hot neighbor. Because, you know, hot neighbor.)

After each girl finishes a particularly awful workday, the three friends meet at their favorite wine bar, which has been sold by its owner for a huge profit and will close that night. In a moment of tipsy brazenness, Jessie suggests that the three of them open their own wine bar in the gentrifying Echo Park area of Los Angeles. An unapologetically girly place for good wine and good friends—which leads to a challenge for each woman: how do you fix a life that’s not actually broken, but needs an upgrade? (Courtesy of Amazon.)


Where does the inspiration for your stories come from?
Wow. I want to say, “I haven’t a clue”. But I guess my friends, my life, and/or subjects I haven’t seen written about that I feel need to be discussed. For example, in “Love the Wine”, one of my characters has been with a married man for awhile, and she’s in love with him. I had never written about that relationship before because, at first glance, a mistress is not a sympathetic character. But after talking to a lot of women over the years, I have discovered that many of them were with married men at some point during their dating lives. The relationships have run the gamut from a woman dating a man she found out was married and dumping him immediately to one hanging around for years in the hopes he’d leave his wife (he did not), to the husband actually leaving. And, in one case, a friend who dated a married woman who had not yet come out and told her husband. I find all of these women very sympathetic in real life, and without exception they were tormented by how they got into this mess. So I decided to write about something that was complicated and messy. I suppose I’m getting to a point in my writing where I’m trying to write about things that are messy. Life is messy. Maybe writing is my way of finding answers to the mess. Of course, it’s me, so I will always still try to find the humor in those situations.

What is the easiest and most difficult part of the writing process for you?
The easiest part is rewriting. Getting the first draft down is the hardest part because it’s crap. All of it is crap. For every author. Every time. But when you start rewriting, you at least have the scene down, and it’s now a matter of getting to rework it to say what you want to say.

Who had the greatest influence on your writing career?
I don’t think I can name just one influence. Certainly my family. My parents were both English majors and writers. My great grandfather had two novels published and was a journalist. There is a vague familial relationship with Dorothy Parker I’m fond of. And I have a slew of aunts, uncles and cousins who are paid writers of some sort or other. And we also had working actors in the family who work from the writing. So the world I grew up in was filled with books and plays and TV scripts. That was my normal. My uncle Ken is an actor, and throughout my childhood he regularly talked to me about everything from the writing of Shakespeare (which he performed on Broadway) to the script from a Wonder Woman episode he guested on in the late 1970's. It took until I had a son of my own to realize how lucky I was to be brought up in a world where art was a legitimate thing to talk about and aspire to make. Not that I think that my books will ever rival Shakespeare, but maybe they are Wonder Woman good. ☺

Do you believe in astrology and horoscopes?
The short answer is “No”. But I will admit to reading the I Ching or Tarot cards just for fun and I do feel like there are unexplained parts of the universe that we call coincidence but that one could argue is a sign. I have no idea. I’m neither super religious nor atheist, and I’m constantly still looking for answers.

My favorite type of wine is:
Champagne, Prosecco or Cava. I love the celebratory aspect of them.

You created the word “eciah” and founded/created the website eciah.com. According to the site, eciah is, "moment in your life when your future suddenly gets a lot brighter.” What is your great eciah?
The moment the pregnancy stick showed two lines. My husband and I had been trying for awhile, and I was starting to resign myself to the fact that it might not happen for us. While I am very proud of my novels, by far my son Alex is the best thing I’ve ever done. If you’d like to read the whole story, go to www.eciah.com and click on pregnancy and babies. I’m under Kim Gruenenfelder. (And please! Share a story of your own. We need more stories!)

Side note: Melissa A recently shared a story on eciah.com. 

Thanks to Kim for visiting with us and to St. Martin's Press 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 June 13th at midnight EST.

Spotlight: Radical New Me

Title: Radical New Me
Author: PK Hrezo
Release Date: May 10th, 2017
Tour Dates: June 6th – 10th, 2017
Genre: Women’s Fiction


Callie Cow: Where is She Now?

That's what Calliope Crown's old high school classmates want to know.

Now it's five years later and Calliope's gone from fat to fit in a year-long transformation with a world-renowned self-help guru. When funds she's always counted on fall through, she moves to ritzy Boca Raton to work for her snobby aunt's beachside bakery and face the same temptation that put her in the body she so desperately wants to forget. Calliope may be armed with a new identity, but old self-images don't die fast, and true self-esteem isn't something you can buy online with a credit card, even though her guru would suggest otherwise with the prices of his webinar course and weekly regimen.

Enter one cute and dedicated handyman and Calliope begins to see the world in a new light. Connecting with him, as well as new friends and Internet followers may just prove that life's detours can sometimes reveal our truest identities in the most unexpected of ways.

AmazonUS | AmazonUK | AmazonAU | AmazonCA

Taylor Jenkins Reid is in SEVENTH heaven...plus a book giveaway

We're glad to have Taylor Jenkins Reid back at CLC today to celebrate the upcoming publication of her fifth novel, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. Amy and Melissa A both enjoy her books and are excited to read it. Thanks to BookSparks, we have a copy for one lucky reader! The Seven Husbands is part of their 2017 Summer Reading Challenge.

Taylor lives in Los Angeles and is the acclaimed author of One True Loves, Maybe in Another Life, After I Do, and Forever, Interrupted.  Her novels have been named best books of summer by People, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, InStyle, PopSugar, BuzzFeed, Goodreads, and others. In addition to her novels, Taylor’s essays have appeared in places such as the Los Angeles Times, The Huffington Post, and Money Magazine.

Visit Taylor online:
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Pinterest

Synopsis:
Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one in the journalism community is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now?

Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband, David, has left her, and her career has stagnated. Regardless of why Evelyn has chosen her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career.

Summoned to Evelyn’s Upper East Side apartment, Monique listens as Evelyn unfurls her story: from making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the late 80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way. As Evelyn’s life unfolds—revealing a ruthless ambition, an unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love—Monique begins to feel a very a real connection to the actress. But as Evelyn’s story catches up with the present, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.

What was most challenging part of writing The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo? What was the most rewarding?
The most challenging part of the story was making sure the details and the timeline were just right. The story spans over sixty years, takes place in multiple cities in multiple countries, and has very public characters. Evelyn's gowns needed to be emblematic of the time period. Her adventures and husbands had to feel timely but timeless. That was work I hadn't done before because, up until now, I've written contemporary pieces.

By far the most rewarding was Evelyn. She's a complicated woman but I hope very much that she leaps off the page. All my efforts to create her worldview, her style, her place in our culture, were done with passion and excitement. It didn't feel like work at all.

What is a favorite compliment you received on one of your previous novels? What was some constructive feedback that you applied to your writing?
I've been told a few times that After I Do helped people in their marriage. That one always sticks with me. As for constructive feedback, I'm always learning, always refining. For instance, it can be hard to gauge how clued in readers are to what you're trying to say. I sometime veer too subtle and other times too obvious. My editor and my beta-readers help me to keep fine-tuning that balance the best I can.

What is one piece of advice you would like to share with future novelists?
You have to do you. Nobody can be your voice and you can't be anyone else's. The books I'm the most drawn to -- and the most success I've had -- come from honesty and distinctiveness. There are a lot of other elements that come into play when it comes to writing a good book. But none of it matters if you aren't writing what you love in your own way.

In your opinion, which movie should never be re-made?
When Harry Met Sally... It's so good -- and truly defines the romantic comedy genre -- but there is no one that can do Nora Ephron justice and the chemistry between Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan is one in a million. We have to let it age untouched.

What is your theme song?
'Grown Woman' by Beyonce. It's the perfect song to give yourself a little pep talk or when you're feelin' good. It works in both scenarios! And I like being a grown woman. Plus, hello, it's the Queen B.

What is your biggest addiction?
I have three. A holy triumvirate of vice: Caffeine, Sugar, Sweatpants.

Thanks to Taylor 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 June 11th at midnight EST.

Book Review: Allie and Bea

By Sara Steven

Bea has barely been scraping by since her husband died. After falling for a telephone scam, she loses everything and is forced to abandon her trailer. With only two-thirds of a tank in her old van, she heads toward the Pacific Ocean with her cat—on a mission to reclaim what’s rightfully hers, even if it means making others pay for what she lost.

When fifteen-year-old Allie’s parents are jailed for tax fraud, she’s sent to a group home. But when her life is threatened by another resident, she knows she has to get out. She escapes only to find she has nowhere to go—until fate throws Allie in Bea’s path.

Reluctant to trust each other, much less become friends, the two warily make their way up the Pacific Coast. Yet as their hearts open to friendship and love from the strangers they meet on their journey, they find the courage to forge their own unique family—and begin to see an imperfect world with new eyes. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon)

One thing I’ve learned while reading any Catherine Ryan Hyde novel, you never quite know what you’re going to find when you start reading. I had this idea in my mind, that an older woman and a young girl would set off on a Pacific Coast adventure, a modern-day Thelma and Louise, in a sense. And while there’s a fraction of that gritty spirit in Allie and Bea, it’s only scratching the surface.

There are many life or death moments in this story, beginning with Bea and her plight. While discovering who she was as a character, I pictured my own eighty-two year old grandmother in Bea's shoes, leaving her home and everything, other than her pet, behind, living in an old van that had never been built as living quarters. While my grandmother has admitted to camping out on the Oregon coast in her own minivan, with her three poodles in recent years, I feel as though that in and of itself is an amazing feat. To go through the experiences Bea has, I can’t fathom it. But, I’m sure there are many who have had to go the same route, in order to survive.

Allie is also trying hard to survive. Plenty is mentioned in the synopsis on Allie’s hurdles, but there is plenty that isn’t. Hyde brings to the forefront the social issues that plague us, stories ripped from the headlines that many of us turn a blind eye to. Allie finds herself right in the thick of it all, until Bea saves her, like a knight in dulled metal armor.

I really appreciated the character evolution that takes place for both ladies. Both have their own opinions on how the world works, shaped by their environment and life experiences. Sometimes, life shakes in order for lessons to be learned, for growth to occur. This was a truthful look into the dark, and how when you least expect it, a lifeline will appear from out of nowhere, ready to reel you in upon the great unknown.

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

More by Catherine Ryan Hyde:

Book Review: The Day I Died

By Jami Deise

With such a provocative title, I was expecting that Lori Rader-Day’s latest offering would be along the lines of The Lovely Bones… a mystery narrated by a dead person. But the death in question is symbolic. LeeAnna Winger, an abused child who grew up to be an abused girlfriend, takes advantage of her boyfriend’s latest beating to crawl through the waters of the lake into which he’d deposited her, and begin her life anew.

Almost fourteen years later—after a life on the run with her now 13-year-old son Joshua—LeeAnna (now just Anna) has put down stakes in yet-another small town. She’s a handwriting analyst who works for the FBI and also answers letters from the lovelorn wanting to know the truth behind the scribbles of their sweethearts. When two-year-old Aidan and his mother disappear—and his nanny is murdered—the local sheriff enlists Anna to try to find out clues in the notes left behind by Aidan’s mother. While Anna attempts to solve that mystery, she also has to deal with Joshua becoming a defiant teenager—and demanding to know the truth about his father.

The Day I Died is an exhausting book. Its characters are all so tired… of life, of the small things that make up their day-to-day existence. Anna has a downstairs neighbor she barely knows, but who depends on her for rides to the doctor because there’s no one else. The guidance counselor is rumored to have a thing for small boys. And everyone blames Aidan’s mother for his disappearance – but Anna’s analysis makes her think that the woman was just another wife on the run from an abusive husband. Are these the white working class denizens who are dying in droves, whose addictions are ruining their lives? It seems like it. I wouldn’t want to live in small-town Parks, and experiencing it in a literary manner was almost as depressing.

Because the book is so exhausting, I found it tiresome to get through. While the details about Anna’s handwriting analysis were interesting, a lot of her observations seemed obvious. The pace is slow, and Anna’s preoccupation with Joshua keeps her from being fully emotionally involved in the investigation into Aidan’s disappearance. The book’s third act hinges upon a giant coincidence.

Still, the novel is well-written and Rader-Day’s portrayal of an abused woman and the shields she develops to protect herself is worthwhile. For that angle alone, the book may be worth a read.

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

More by Lori Rader-Day:

Book Review: New York, Actually

By Sara Steven

Molly is a closeted relationship advice blogger. Daniel is one of the wealthiest divorce lawyers in New York City. Neither believe in happily ever after, preferring to steer clear of anything even remotely romance-worthy. They have a substantial amount of baggage between the two of them. This sort of opposites attract, despite all hurdles, is what makes New York, Actually such an enjoyable read!

I found their relationship to be a refreshing take on the realism between couples. Not everything is lovey dovey all the time. Many of us have been scorned, had our hearts broken, and in Molly’s case, there may be skeletons in the closet that are better left hidden away. She’s terrified of the repercussions, what Daniel will think of her. On the flip side, Daniel has seen his fair share of marriages gone awry, beginning with his own family. It’s put him off having anything serious with anyone, no matter the cost. Lucky for him, Molly feels the same way. She is unlovable, by her standards. A fact proven time and again with any relationship she has tried to pursue.

Molly has a background in psychology, which makes this all the more believable. It’s so easy to counsel others, yet it’s hardest when you have to turn the microscope on your own life. I appreciated how Sarah Morgan highlighted this fact for her readers. It would be easy to say, “hey, Molly should have this completely figured out, given her education, her background”, yet it’s never that easy, not for any of us. We’ve all got our own insecurities, no matter how strange that might be to others. Sometimes, it takes an outside source (and a whole lot of support) to help us see the light.

As always, I love how the other characters from the Manhattan with Love series pops into play. Like Fliss and Harriet, who run The Bark Rangers- they happen to be Daniel’s sisters. I have a feeling one (or both) ladies will have center stage in the future, possibility their own stories to continue on with the Manhattan thread. It was also nice to reunite with Eva from Miracle on 5th Ave. I love how everyone is so intricately woven together, one big family. It's one of the biggest reasons every single book in the series is so fantastic, including this one.

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

More from the Manhattan with Love series: