July and August 2018 Book Giveaway

Every two months, we're featuring EIGHT books we're interested in checking out. (We know there are many, many more, but we're just highlighting a few that haven't received their time in the spotlight yet.) Here are the books we've chosen for July and August. There is one copy of each book available to give away and we will choose FOUR winners to each receive TWO books at random.

See our previous bi-monthly posts for some other great reads you might have missed.

(Mini teasers/synopses are all courtesy of Amazon.)

July:

No One Tells You This 
by Glynnis MacNicol (July 10th)

Intimate and timely, No One Tells You This is a fearless reckoning with modern womanhood and an exhilarating adventure that will resonate with anyone determined to live by their own rules.

*Thanks to Simon & Schuster for the giveaway copy

Her Pretty Face by Robyn Harding 
(July 10th)

The author of the bestselling novel The Party returns with a chilling new domestic drama about two women whose deep friendship is threatened by dark, long-buried secrets.

*Thanks to Gallery for the giveaway copy.

Every Time You Go Away 
by Beth Harbison (July 24th)

A heartfelt, emotional story about healing a tragic loss, letting go, and coming together as a family.

*Thanks to St. Martin's Press for the giveaway copy.

Ghosted by Rosie Walsh (July 24th)

Seven perfect days. Then he disappeared. A love story with a secret at its heart.

*Thanks to Viking for the giveaway copy.




August:

Goodbye Paris by Anstey Harris 
(August 7th)

Filled with lovable, quirky characters, this poignant novel explores the realities of relationships and heartbreak and shows that when it comes to love, there’s more than one way to find happiness.

*Thanks to Touchstone for the giveaway copy.

The Daisy Children by Sofia Grant (August 7th)

Inspired by true events, in Sofia Grant’s powerfully moving new novel a young woman peels back the layers of her family’s history, discovering a tragedy in the past that explains so much of the present. This unforgettable story is one of hope, healing, and the discovery of truth.

*Thanks to William Morrow for the giveaway copy.

Mr. and Mrs. American Pie 
by Juliet McDaniel (August 7th)

Maxine has one problem: to win the crown she’ll need to find—or build—a family of her own.

*Thanks to Inkshares for the giveaway copy.

Rush by Lisa Patton (August 21st)

Achingly poignant, yet laugh-out-loud funny, RUSH takes a sharp, nuanced look at a centuries-old tradition while exploring the complex, intimate relationships between mothers and daughters and female friends. Brimming with heart and hope for a better tomorrow, RUSH is an uplifting novel universal to us all.

*Thanks to St. Martin's Press for the giveaway copy.



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 8th at midnight EST.

Susie Orman Schnall is holding the remote control...plus a book giveaway

We are so glad to have Susie Orman Schnall back at CLC today. After The Balance Project, she made us wait three long years for her latest novel, The Subway Girls, which published today. It was definitely worth the wait, per Melissa A's review. Thanks to St. Martin's Press, we have TWO copies to give away!



Susie Orman Schnall is the author of three novels: Her thought-provoking debut, ON GRACE (2014, SparkPress), is about turning 40. THE BALANCE PROJECT (2015, SparkPress), is about work-life balance and was inspired by The Balance Project interview series she started in 2014. And THE SUBWAY GIRLS (2018, St. Martin’s Press), is historical fiction about the fascinating Miss Subways advertising program.

Susie’s writing has appeared in numerous publications including The New York Times, The Huffington Post, POPSUGAR, Writer’s Digest, and Glamour. She is also a frequent speaker at women’s groups, corporations, and book clubs about her novels and work-life balance.

Susie grew up in Los Angeles, graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, and now lives just outside of New York City with her husband and their three sons who play ball in the house. (Bio courtesy of Susie's website.)

Today, Susie is here to tell us what she used to enjoy watching and what she currently enjoys watching on TV.

Visit Susie online:
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram

Synopsis:
In 1949, dutiful and ambitious Charlotte's dream of a career in advertising is shattered when her father demands she help out with the family business. Meanwhile, Charlotte is swept into the glamorous world of the Miss Subways beauty contest, which promises irresistible opportunities with its Park Avenue luster and local fame status. But when her new friend—the intriguing and gorgeous fellow-participant Rose—does something unforgivable, Charlotte must make a heart-wrenching decision that will change the lives of those around her forever.

Nearly 70 years later, outspoken advertising executive Olivia is pitching the NYC subways account in a last ditch effort to save her job at an advertising agency. When the charismatic boss she’s secretly in love with pits her against her misogynistic nemesis, Olivia’s urgent search for the winning strategy leads her to the historic Miss Subways campaign. As the pitch date closes in on her, Olivia finds herself dealing with a broken heart, an unlikely new love interest, and an unexpected personal connection to Miss Subways that could save her job—and her future.

The Subway Girls is the charming story of two strong women, a generation apart, who find themselves up against the same eternal struggle to find an impossible balance between love, happiness, and ambition. (Courtesy of Amazon.)

Top 5 Shows (when I was kid or teen):

• Little House on the Prairie
• The Brady Bunch
• Happy Days
• The Love Boat
• The Facts of Life

Top 5 Shows (Recent, including ones that are over):

• Scandal
• Good Girls Revolt
• Mad Men
• Downton Abbey
• Silicon Valley

Thanks to Susie 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 July 15th at midnight EST.

Book Review: From the Corner of the Oval

By Jami Deise

As the two terms of the Obama Administration disappear into the country’s rear view mirror, sometimes I wonder whether Obama really was as amazing as I remember, or whether, as the song goes, “What’s too painful to remember/we simply chose to forget.”* And then I read Beck Dorey-Stein’s From the Corner of the Oval: A Memoir, about working in the Obama White House from 2012 to 2017, and I learned he was even more amazing than I thought.

A graduate of Wesleyan, Dorey-Stein came to D.C. not to get involved in politics, but to teach. However, as a part-time substitute at Sidwell Friends, she had trouble making ends meet, patching together a living that included folding pants at Lululemon. After answering a Craigslist ad for a stenographer, she stumbles into a front seat to history. Not a political junkie like most people in D.C., (but an Obama fan nonetheless) Dorey-Stein brings a reverent eye to her new job, which entails recording every official Obama utterance—speeches, meetings, press briefings, etc. She flies on Air Force One, attends summits in Asia and Cuba, covers Obama’s re-election campaign, and works with some of his most well-known staffers. As she becomes more entrenched in the day-to-day workings of the White House, Dorey-Stein grows even more appreciative of the intelligence, compassion, and determination that the 44th president brought to his job, and in reading these chapters, so did I. Sadly, many of her recollections deal with mass shootings and Obama’s response to them. Unfortunately, after Newtown, they became rote in their horror.

Dorey-Stein’s memoir isn’t only about Obama. In her mid-twenties when she began the job, Dorey-Stein is anxious for on-the-job female friendships, and for her relationship with her boyfriend Sam to continue. But she develops a crush on a senior-level Obama staffer, Jason, whose engagement doesn’t stop him from moving in on a woman ten years younger than he is. It destroys the author’s relationship with her boyfriend, and her inability to disentangle herself from Jason makes her miserable for years. At the same time, though, she’s able to develop a female posse at work that helps her get through it.

Because of the Jason drama and lots of drinking and all-nighters, Dorey-Stein seems more like a college student than an adult professional. She often refers to the final year of Obama’s presidency as “senior year.” As her colleagues pursue their dreams, Dorey-Stein seems stagnant. She is a smart, big-hearted woman who could easily be working at a more intellectually demanding job. Perhaps her feelings for Jason distracted her from reaching for the next rung on the ladder.

Despite the author’s immaturity, readers will root for her because her heart is in the right place and she tries to do the right thing. Her story emphasizes the point that when the country lost Obama, it also lost thousands of young, idealistic staffers who believe they are making the world a better place. I hope she uses her intelligence and skills in service to our country. Perhaps Obama has a position for Dorey-Stein at his Netflix production company.

As the country waits with baited breath for Trump’s next tweet, a look back at Obama through the rose-colored glasses of stenographer Beck Dorey-Stein is a good way to pass the time. But it will leave you crying at the end, just like Obama’s presidency did.

*Barbra Streisand, "The Way We Were"

Thanks to Random House for the book in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: Our Little Secret

By Becky Gulc

‘A sparkling story about what happens when you let someone into your life… but they turn out to want more than you’d bargained for!

Sarah has the perfect life. A high-flying job in a law firm, a beautiful daughter and a house to die for. So how does she find herself looking in through the kitchen window while another woman enjoys it all?

When Sarah takes pity on a struggling young graduate who can’t get a job, she thinks she’s doing the right thing. She’s being kind, generous and helpful to others, as she always is. But as Sarah allows the younger woman into her home, her law firm and even her family, is there more to this pretty youngster than meets the eye? And could this be a good deed that goes further than expected?’ (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon UK.)

Claudia Carroll is one of my favourite authors, she writes such engaging novels that I can’t put down and Our Little Secret is no different. I’ve read some great novels by Claudia that I would say are more traditional ‘chick lit’, with others (equally good) that have a darker edge but whilst retaining somewhat of a ‘chick lit’ basis. Her range of work means I’m always kept guessing as a reader as to what her new book will offer, whilst always being confident it will be a great read.

Sarah is quite newly separated from Tom, she lives with her teenage daughter Darcy and works as a lawyer. Whilst she’s a busy woman, she likes to do good. When she meets Lauren when having her nails done and finds she is working as a beautician whilst trying to get her break in a law-firm, Sarah wants to do what she can to help her. Soon Lauren is working at her firm, lodging at her house, and being chief confidante to Darcy. Question is, where is this leaving Sarah? Is Lauren all she seems to be?

Our Little Secret was immediately engaging. The narrative suggests straight away that something is amiss, that this story is going to offer more than a lighthearted read. As someone who enjoys a thriller, this drew me in straight away, just what is the story with Sarah’s new friend Lauren? Well it takes a long time to find out and I loved every minute of it. The narrative switches between Sarah, Sarah’s best friend Liz, and Darcy. This kept it fresh and balanced the viewpoints of Lauren, we know Sarah is too trusting, too welcoming, but thank goodness for Liz who sees things differently.

Lauren was a great character to hate. So two-faced, manipulative, and deceitful, but it’s a slow process to uncovering her true colours. As a reader you are slowly seething at how quickly she is infiltrating Sarah’s life. Sarah is a nice character; I felt quite sorry for her, sad at the end of her marriage but resolute that’s the way it should be, sad for her struggles in connecting with her daughter. She may seem to let someone in her life quite easily, but I could also empathise with her too. Darcy was also a great character, what happens to her made me despise Lauren even more. I felt very protective!

This is a wonderful, gripping read that transcends genres in a balanced way that won’t disappoint loyal readers and fans of ‘Chick Lit’.

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

More by Claudia Carroll:

Elyssa Friedland is tuning in...plus a book giveaway

Photo by Lucia Engstrom

We're glad to have Elyssa Friedland back at CLC. Her debut, Love and Miss Communication, published in 2015. Thankfully these past few years have flown by and she's now back with The Intermission. Today, she's here to tell us about her top five favorite TV shows from the past and present. Thanks to Kathleen Carter Communications, we have TWO copies of The Intermission for some lucky readers!

Elyssa Friedland attended Yale University, where she served as managing editor of the Yale Daily News. She is a graduate of Columbia Law School and subsequently worked as an associate at a major firm. Recently, she has written for POPSUGAR, RealSimple.com and Bustle. Prior to law school, Elyssa wrote for several publications, including Modern Bride, New York magazine, Columbia Journalism Review, CBS MarketWatch.com, Yale Alumni Magazine, and Your Prom. Elyssa grew up in New Jersey and currently lives in New York City with her husband and three young children. Her debut novel, LOVE AND MISS COMMUNICATION, was praised by Cosmopolitan, Glamour, and InStyle magazines as well as numerous other publications. (Courtesy of Elyssa's website.)

Side note: Melissa A is happy that Elyssa is also a fan of the Hamilton soundtrack.

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

Synopsis:

Have you ever had a secret so gut-wrenching you couldn't tell anyone, not even the person who shares your bed? Told from the alternating perspectives of a husband and wife who both have something to hide, this incisive novel pulls back the curtain on a seemingly-happy marriage, posing the question: how much do we really know--and how much should we want to know--about the people we love the most?

After five long years, the unshakable confidence Cass Coyne felt as a bride is gone. Her husband, Jonathan, on the other hand, is still smitten. It's true that the quirks he once found charming in his wife--her high standards, her refusal to clean the dishes--are beginning to grate. But for him, these are minor challenges in a healthy relationship.

So it comes as a complete shock to Jonathan when Cass suddenly requests a marital "intermission": a six-month separation during which they'll decide if the comfortable life they've built is still the one they both want.

Aside from a monthly custodial exchange of their beloved dog, contact will be limited. But as the months pass, they begin to see that calculated silences just like these have helped to drive them apart--and that it may finally be time to confront the blistering secrets they've been avoiding. (Courtesy of Amazon.)

Favorite shows from my youth:

• Beverly Hills 90210
• Full House
• Saved by the Bell
• Party of Five
• Dallas

Current favorite shows:

• Game of Thrones
• Homeland
• Forensic Files
• The Crown
• 30 Rock

Thanks to Elyssa for sharing her favorite shows with us and to Kathleen Carter Communications 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 10th at midnight EST.

Book Review: Audacity on the Water

By Sara Steven

**May contain spoilers for Adirondack Audacity. See Sara's review.**

The adventures begun in Adirondack Audacity continue...

Ellen McCauley Rienz yawns, stretching in the early morning light that spills through the open French doors of her Adirondack Camp. She snuggles deeper into her husband's embrace, secure in the knowledge that Vic, her first love, her lost love is safe in her bed..and here to stay. Happily ever after, at last…

Until an incessant pounding on the front door jerks her back to reality, and promises made and commitments unfulfilled.

In a rash moment of enthusiasm, Ellen entered the Adirondack Canoe Classic, neglecting to tell her husband they would be paddling a 90 mile canoe race through the lakes and rivers of the Adirondack Mountains...while on their honeymoon. What was she thinking?

Paddling 90 miles in three days coached by a bombastic East German, stalked by a local thug whistling Moon River and a Harley-Davidson riding housekeeper named Adele are just a few of the complications Ellen faces on this hilarious journey..with a startling conclusion that only Klutz-Ellen can pull off.

Murder, mystery, and mayhem on the "90". The Adirondack for Ladies Series...titillating novels set in the great outdoors filled with humor, drama and a little bit of sizzle. (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads)

I really enjoy Ellen as the primary character in the Adirondack series. She’s fun and silly, and finds herself in all sorts of crazy situations, even when she tries hard to stick to the straight and narrow. It’s as though trouble finds her, and while there are plenty of cringe-worthy moments that come from it, mixed right along with those moments is a high caliber of hilarity that can only come from “Klutz-Ellen”. Like finding herself in a situation where she’s being hunted down by creepy stalkers and drunk race competitors, or random strangers who she’s never seen before. Even though the situations can seem far-fetched, it doesn’t feel that way, and it was totally believable for the type of person that Ellen is.

Where I feel this series began with the romance between Ellen and Vic, it’s still there, in full force, but with a more matured, subdued quality to it. Well, other than the risque moments that are sprinkled in, showcasing that they still have a fire burning for one another, but now, they’re able to be finally be together and just, be. It was nice to see the evolution in their relationship.

The conclusion that is briefly mentioned in the synopsis… wow. Fingers are pointed in various directions, a classic “who done it” scenario, that even I had become unsure of who was who, because if I’ve learned anything, characters aren’t always who they seem to be in an Adirondack adventure. And, you’re not entirely sure who the bad guy is, or who has been put in that position unfairly. It kept me guessing.

While I’ve never been to the Adirondacks, or spent time paddling in a canoe, I felt like I was right there with Ellen while she’s on her own canoe adventures. L.R. Smolarek has done a great job of painting a backdrop that I really want to visit someday in “real life”, much like with book one in the Adirondack series. You can’t help but feel endeared to not only the characters who bring the scenes to life, but to the backdrop itself, a beauty that really draws you in and makes you never want to leave.

Thanks to L.R. Smolarek for the book in exchange for an honest review. Audacity on the Water can be purchased here.

Olivia Arquette's Sassy Sitcoms...plus a book giveaway

We welcome Olivia Arquette to CLC today. She is helping us kick off TV month today, by telling us her favorite shows from then and now. She has one e-book copy of her debut novel, Ms. Medicine, to give away!

Olivia Arquette is a wife, mother, and lover of things that make her laugh. She strives to write entertaining novels about ordinary women facing extraordinary circumstances. Before becoming an author, Olivia spent the majority of her career in the financially lucrative, but emotionally vexing field of pharmaceutical sales/marketing. Olivia’s latest passions include lurking in the shadows and scaring family members, throwing yarn balls at the cat, and finding inventive uses for her extensive collection of 3M Command strips. (Bio courtesy of Amazon.)

Visit Olivia online:
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram

Synopsis:
MSadvised: Caprice Bello is broke, living in her grandparent’s basement, and in need of a new career. When a friend offers to help her land a job selling pharmaceuticals she’s reluctant, but then caves. After all, the pay is decent, the company car is free, and doctors are the nice guys. Besides, how hard could it be? Turns out, plenty.

MSbeliefs: After completing a crash course in pharma sales, Caprice hits the field determined to earn a top award and luxury trip to Australia. Too bad she’s unprepared for mean doctors and even meaner coworkers. Add to that Caprice’s unrequited crush on an irresistible colleague, and suddenly her easy job is anything but.

MSadventures: Before long, Caprice experiences a series of unexpected snafus that cause her once rising sales to tank. Not only is her goal of winning the top award and trip waylaid, but her new career is in real jeopardy. Desperate, Caprice gambles on a risky strategy that will result in either glorious victory or spectacular defeat. (Courtesy of Amazon.)

Favorite Shows as a kid (I'm pretty sure all of these were reruns when I watched, because it was typically right after school. There was no such thing as Nickelodeon or Cartoon Network when I was growing up!)

• Gilligan's Island - My favorite character was Gilligan, because what a goofball! (And to answer the age old question...Ginger or MaryAnn...I have to say, Ginger. Although I never understood why she brought all those gowns for a three hour tour...)
• The Monkees - Oh silly fun. I had a crush on Mike (Nesmith), but Micky Dolenz made me laugh (and their "I'm a Believer" is currently on the list of my workout music)
• Pink Panther - FYI...I'm still in love with that cool cat
• I Dream of Jeannie and Bewitched - before Hermione Granger, these lovely and sassy ladies made me long for magical powers.

Favorite Shows now - some things never change, good comedy is something I will always enjoy:

• Glow (on Netflix)
• Curb Your Enthusiasm and Veep (tie)
• Better Call Saul
• Handmaid's Tale
• Narcos

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

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

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Giveaway ends July 8th at midnight EST.