Book Review: The Cottage on Wildflower Lane

By Sara Steven

Esther's life isn’t perfect (whose is?) – but she’s happy enough living in her little flat with her boyfriend, Josh. But that’s about to change. Bored out of her mind in work, she wishes that something, anything, would happen to liven her life up. Unfortunately, her wish comes true when Josh calls her from the airport to tell her he’s going to work in a bar in Spain, and she’s not invited, Esther is devastated, and her unhappiness is compounded when she discovers she can actually view the bar via a webcam link and watch him chatting up other girls. But when she inadvertently clicks on a link to another webcam which shows a pretty cottage and the rather hunky man who lives in it, her interest is piqued and she wishes she could get to know him. Wishes don’t really come true, though – do they...? (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads)

We never really know at times why (or how) people will come into our lives, and The Cottage on Wildflower Lane is further proof that even the most unconventional ways can be the most beneficial! I would have never thought to look at webcams or anything of the sort and having that experience lead to potential love. But it’s what Esther experiences, during a time in her life where love is the furthest thing from her mind, given what happens with her ex.

And what a cold way to drop someone. Too much of a coward to cut ties with Esther, he tells her by phone that he’s moving away to work in a bar in Spain, and that he’s not coming back, and that she’s not invited. Which prompts Esther to try and keep tabs on him through the webcam. Much like the type of person who becomes obsessed with looking up someone’s social media pages until they drive themselves sick, the webcam becomes a bit of an obsession for Esther, up until she discovers another site that falls under an entirely different category. What is this, and is this stalking?

There were a ton of sweet innuendos and near misses in this story, particularly where Esther and the mystery man from the pretty cottage (Kit) are concerned. I really enjoyed the story slowly unfolding, usually from the same vantage point but from an entirely different point of view, whether that be Esther’s or Kit’s. The way it all is laid out was done organically and didn’t feel rushed or totally out of place, either. I could imagine these scenarios happening for someone in the real world. It brought an element of realism to everything.

It appears that both characters here aid in helping one another move on from past hurts in their lives, and while there is the sense of hesitancy, due to trust, it added to that realism in that, we’re all a bit cautious after we’ve had our heart hurt. Along for the ride is the beautiful scenery that is mentioned, particularly that pretty little cottage on Wildflower Lane. When I read scenery like that, it makes me want to physically be part of it. This really was a delightful read!

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


Purchase links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK

Liz Davies writes feel-good, light-hearted stories with a hefty dose of romance, a smattering of humour, and a great deal of love.

She’s married to her best friend, has one grown-up daughter, and when she isn’t scribbling away in the notepad she carries with her everywhere (just in case inspiration strikes), you’ll find her searching for that perfect pair of shoes. She loves to cook but isn’t very good at it, and loves to eat - she’s much better at that! Liz also enjoys walking (preferably on the flat), cycling (also on the flat), and lots of sitting around in the garden on warm, sunny days.

She currently lives with her family in Wales, but would ideally love to buy a camper can and travel the world in it.

Visit Liz online:
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Margarita Montimore is ahead of her time

Photo by David Swanson

We're pleased to have Margarita Montimore at CLC, as we celebrate the publication of Oona Out of Order. Melissa A loved this novel and can't stop thinking about it. Check out her review. 

After receiving a BFA in Creative Writing from Emerson College, Margarita Montimore worked for over a decade in publishing and social media before deciding to focus on the writing dream full-time. She's blogged for Marvel, Google, Quirk Books, and XOJane.com. When not writing, she freelances as a book coach and editor. Born in Soviet Ukraine and raised in Brooklyn, she currently lives in New Jersey with her husband and dog.

Margarita writes upmarket fiction that tends to be left of center and flirt with multiple genres. She loves all things dark, strange, and surreal, but is also optimistic—verging on quixotic—and a pop culture geek, so her work tends to incorporate all those elements to varying degrees.

In 2018, she self-published Asleep from Day. Her proper debut, Oona Out of Order, will be published in the UK/Commonwealth on March 5th as The Rearranged Life of Oona Lockhart. (Bio adapted from Margarita's website.)

Visit Margarita online:
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Synopsis:
Just because life may be out of order, doesn’t mean it’s broken.

It’s New Year’s Eve 1982, and Oona Lockhart has her whole life before her. At the stroke of midnight she will turn nineteen, and the year ahead promises to be one of consequence. Should she go to London to study economics, or remain at home in Brooklyn to pursue her passion for music and be with her boyfriend? As the countdown to the New Year begins, Oona faints and awakens thirty-two years in the future in her fifty-one-year-old body. Greeted by a friendly stranger in a beautiful house she’s told is her own, Oona learns that with each passing year she will leap to another age at random. And so begins Oona Out of Order...

Hopping through decades, pop culture fads, and much-needed stock tips, Oona is still a young woman on the inside but ever changing on the outside. Who will she be next year? Philanthropist? Club Kid? World traveler? Wife to a man she’s never met?

Surprising, magical, and heart-wrenching, Margarita Montimore has crafted an unforgettable story about the burdens of time, the endurance of love, and the power of family. (Courtesy of Amazon.)

What were the biggest challenges and rewards with writing Oona Out of Order?
The biggest challenges came as I revised the manuscript. Given the time travel, changing one small aspect of the story could involve rewriting larger sections of the book. And changing major parts of the story created these tough plot puzzles for me that sometimes took weeks or months to figure out. I ended up rewriting a good third of the novel over the course of at least a dozen revisions. Those revisions brought numerous rewards along the way, like discovering how seemingly small things (a ring, a watch, etc.) could have an unexpected and meaningful impact in the story. Ultimately, the most rewarding thing was having the book improve with each iteration until the pieces coalesced, and seeing the positive early responses to the story.

How are you similar to or different from Oona?
We’re similar in that we both have stubborn streak and tendency toward sarcasm. Music was a key part of both our lives in our teens and early 20’s. We’re different in that Oona has stronger innate sense of self-confidence, which is what allows her to handle the time travel with more boldness than I ever would. At the same time, she’s also more impulsive, and some of her reckless moments are more extreme than anything I’d ever do.

If Oona Out of Order were made into a movie, what are some songs that would be on the soundtrack? 
Music factors heavily into Oona’s character and certain aspects of the story (plus, each section is named after a song), so that’s something I thought about a lot. I often wrote scenes envisioning how they’d play out on the screen, mentally developing a soundtrack as I went along. So it made sense to create an Oona Out of Order Spotify playlist. It includes songs by Kate Bush, Roxy Music, Radiohead, Bowie, Depeche Mode, and others.

If you could write a letter now to give to yourself 10 years ago, what is one piece of advice you would give yourself from the future?
The things that stress you out the most will work themselves out, so don’t spend so much time worrying. Focus that emotional energy in more positive and creative ways. (Also, to be totally honest, like Oona, I’d want to give myself stock tips, but at the very least I’d advise myself to contribute the maximum amount to my 401K).

What is the last movie you saw that you would recommend?
Marriage Story. I’m a huge fan of Noah Baumbach, and Kicking and Screaming will forever be one of my favorite movies, but his latest is his masterpiece. I haven’t been so deeply emotionally affected by a film in over a year (since I saw Call Me By Your Name, which had a similar effect on me).

What is your favorite way to escape?
Going on an overnight trip to Atlantic City with my husband. At the casino, I’ll navigate us to a three-card poker table, order champagne, and hope the night brings good cards and interesting characters playing alongside us.

Thanks to Margarita for visiting with us and to Flatiron Books for coordinating the interview.

Cristina Caboni has an epic story to share...plus a book giveaway

Photo courtesy of Goodreads

Today we welcome Cristina Caboni to CLC. She was introduced to us by Kristin Harmel, who speaks highly of her. Her latest novel, The Binder of Lost Stories, was recently translated to English (and has such a gorgeous cover). Thanks to Laura Ceccacci Agency, we have TWO copies to give away (one print, one e-book)!

Cristina Caboni is the international bestselling author of The Secret Ways of Perfume. One of Italy's best-loved authors, she has sold more than one million copies of her books worldwide. The Binder of Lost Stories is her second novel to be translated into English. When Cristina is not writing, she devotes herself to her family's beekeeping business. She currently lives in the province of Cagliari with her husband and three children. (Bio courtesy of Amazon.)

Visit Cristina online:
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Synopsis:
From international bestselling author Cristina Caboni comes an exquisite and engrossing novel of two women, centuries apart, bound by a love of books and a longing for self-discovery.

With her delicate touch, Sofia Bauer restores books to their original splendor. In this art she finds refuge from her crumbling marriage and the feeling that her once-vibrant life is slipping away. Then an antique German edition takes her breath away. Slipped covertly into the endpapers is an intriguing missive, the first part of a secret…from one bookbinder to another.

Two hundred years ago, Clarice von Harmel defied the constraints of family and society to engage in a profession forbidden to women. Within three separate volumes, Clarice bound her own hidden story filled with pain, longing, and love beyond all reason. A confession that now crosses centuries to touch the heart of a stranger.

With the help of book collector Tomaso Leoni, Sofia connects the threads of Clarice’s past, page by page, line by line, town by town. She’s determined to make Clarice’s voice heard. With each new revelation, Clarice is giving Sofia the courage to find her own voice and hope for the future she thought was lost. (Courtesy of Amazon.)

What did you learn from writing your debut novel that you applied to The Binder of Lost Stories?
I learnt that feelings are important. Being emotionally involved gives you the chance to get into the story.
I always first envisioned the scenes before putting them on paper. In this world perfumes, sounds, colors and everything that surrounds us are main characters.

What is a favorite compliment you have received on your writing?
Readers often tell me that reading my stories is like living them, they feel personally involved as if what they read was really happening to them. I think this is one of the best compliments a writer can receive. A book is a magic world and giving the readers the keys to get into it is a great accomplishment.

If The Binder of Lost Stories were made into a movie, who would you cast in the leading roles?
This is a really witty question because I always think about my characters as actors before starting the writing process, it helps me focus. I look at them and understand what they want. Tomaso Leoni is the epic Tom Hardy, whom I love. For Sofia Bauer, I had Jennifer Lawrence in mind, she’s perfect for the role. Clarice Von Harmel and Christian Philippe are the real-life couple Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander.

If we were to go to Cagliari right now, what must-see places would you take us to visit?
The Castle of the city, before anything else. It’s the oldest part of the city built on a hill overlooking the city, it’s where nobles use to live and where the royal palace is still today. Climbing beautiful stairs, you get to an ancient rampart of white marble and from there you can see the city below and the sea touching the coast. The sea in Cagliari is of a deep blue and it melts with the sky on the horizon. Il Poeto is a beach you have to see. A long walk on fine white sand. At night, you can enjoy an astonishing sunset sat at one of the many small local restaurants, that fiery sky frames unforgettable memories.

What sparked your interest in beekeeping and what is your favorite thing about it?
My family has run a beekeeping company for years, beekeeping runs into our veins. Bees are family to me. My great grandmother used to sing for bees, and the bond we share with these insects has always been strong. They make me feel peaceful, the way they take care of flowers, so tireless and calm, so careful to their community’s needs fascinates me, the hive to them is a sacred and precious place.
They taught me how to be patient because there’s a time and a place for everything, and they remind me that nature has to be preserved and protected. That’s what bees do, they don’t waste, they cherish and preserve and that’s what we should do, too.

What is your go to breakfast food?
I usually drink aromatic tea, a few cookies, the evergreen honey on bread, all sided by a chat with my husband before the day gets started.

Thanks to Cristina for visiting with us and to Laura Ceccacci Agency 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 March 1st at midnight EST.

Spotlight and Giveaway: So Lucky

Today we are featuring So Lucky by Dawn O'Porter. The delicious doughnut on the cover captured our attention, and the synopsis was just the icing on top! Thanks to HarperCollins, we have FIVE copies for some...ahem...lucky readers!

Is anyone’s life as perfect as it looks?

Beth shows that women really can have it all.
Ruby lives life by her own rules.
And then there’s Lauren, living the dream.

But it just takes one shocking event to make the truth come tumbling out…

Beth hasn’t had sex in a year.
Ruby feels like she’s failing.
Lauren’s happiness is fake news.

Fearless, frank, and for anyone who’s ever doubted themselves, So Lucky is the straight-talking new novel from the bestselling author of The Cows.

Photo by Hailey Simone Porter

Dawn O'Porter is a broadcaster, novelist, and print journalist who lives in Los Angeles with her husband Chris, cat Lilu, and dog Potato. Dawn is the critically acclaimed author of The Cows, Paper Aeroplanes and Goose. She is also a highly prolific Tweeter  and manages her own website (currently under construction). Dawn is obsessed with vintage clothing and recently set up her own clothing label, BOB (she also has a bob…).

Visit Dawn online:
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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 February 26th at midnight EST.

Spotlight and Giveaway: The Sun Down Motel

Today we are pleased to feature Simone St. James's latest novel, The Sun Down Motel. Thanks to Berkley, we have one copy to give away!

Something hasn’t been right at the roadside Sun Down Motel for a very long time, and Carly Kirk is about to find out why.

Upstate New York, 1982. Viv Delaney wants to move to New York City, and to help pay for it she takes a job as the night clerk at the Sun Down Motel in Fell, New York. But something isnʼt right at the motel, something haunting and scary.

Upstate New York, 2017. Carly Kirk has never been able to let go of the story of her aunt Viv, who mysteriously disappeared from the Sun Down before she was born. She decides to move to Fell and visit the motel, where she quickly learns that nothing has changed since 1982. And she soon finds herself ensnared in the same mysteries that claimed her aunt.

Photo by Lauren Perry

Simone St. James is the USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of The Broken Girls, Lost Among the Living, and The Haunting of Maddy Clare. She wrote her first ghost story, about a haunted library, when she was in high school, and spent twenty years behind the scenes in the television business before leaving to write full-time.

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

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 February 25th at midnight EST.

Book Review: The Neighbours

By Becky Gulc

‘To get up from rock bottom, you’ve got to take the stairs…

Some women have it all. Others are thirty-four and rent a tiny flat alone because they recently found their long-term boyfriend in bed with their boss. Ginny Taylor is certain her life can’t get any worse. But then she meets her downstairs neighbour…

Cassie Frost was once a beloved actress, but after a recent mishap she desperately needs a new publicist. And Ginny is a publicist who desperately needs a job – but can she be persuaded to work for the prickly woman who lives below her floorboards?

Ginny and Cassie are two very different women, but they have more in common than they’d care to imagine (or admit). And when their worlds collide, they realise that sometimes – just sometimes – bad neighbours become good friends…’ (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon UK.)

The Neighbours is the debut novel by Nicola Gill and it sounded like the kind of novel I’d be drawn to and enjoy. So what did I think?

Ginny isn’t having a great time of it when we meet her, she finds her boyfriend cheating on her with her boss, cue loss (or good riddance) of the boyfriend and her job in PR, how can she face her boss every day now? With her best friend/flatmate moving abroad too she’s left to face the turmoil pretty much on her own.

Ginny has never really touched base with her famous actress neighbour before, Cassie Frost. But after a damaging stint on reality show I’m a Celebrity…, Cassie is slowly realising she’s not the in-demand actress she once was, what she needs is some good PR, and who better to provide this than her out of work neighbour and newfound kind-of-friend Ginny?

Without a doubt for me, it was the unlikely friendship between Ginny and Cassie that made this novel great. It was a lovely exploration of forming a new friendship later in life, when you’re meant to be in someone’s life when on the face of it you may not have much in common; it’s just fate. These women seem to know what the other wants and needs than they do themselves. Their story was beautiful. It was so funny at times, I loved Cassie; sassy, says it as it is even if she shouldn’t sometimes! And Ginny is a lovely character whom I warmed to instantly.

There are dark times in the novel and I found these very moving and well-written, the struggle to help a friend navigate mental health issues, I felt as helpless as the friend. There is a lot of kindness and warmth from the central, as well as some of the supporting characters, and it was lovely to read.

This is a great debut novel. I wasn’t quite ready to say goodbye to these two women and I think that says it all. The Neighbours is funny, moving, and full of love and that’s said without even considering the ‘love story’ elements of the novel (which are also strong). Loved it!

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

Visit the stops on Nicola's blog tour:

Kimmery Martin has the antidote for your book slump....plus a book giveaway

Today we welcome Kimmery Martin to CLC to celebrate the publication of her sophomore novel, The Antidote For Everything! It sounds like a fascinating story and we look forward to checking it out. Thanks to Berkley, we have one copy to give away!

Kimmery Martin is an emergency medicine doctor-turned novelist whose works of medical fiction have been praised by The Harvard Crimson, Southern Living, The Charlotte Observer and The New York Times, among others. A lifelong literary nerd, she promotes reading, interviews authors, and teaches writing seminars. She’s a frequent speaker at libraries, conferences, and bookstores around the United States. Kimmery completed her medical training at the University of Louisville School of Medicine and the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. She lives with her husband and three children in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Bio courtesy of Kimmery's website.)

Visit Kimmery online:
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Synopsis:
Georgia Brown’s profession as a urologist requires her to interact with plenty of naked men, but her romantic prospects have fizzled. The most important person in her life is her friend Jonah Tsukada, a funny, empathetic family medicine doctor who works at the same hospital in Charleston, South Carolina and who has become as close as family to her.

Just after Georgia leaves the country for a medical conference, Jonah shares startling news. The hospital is instructing doctors to stop providing medical care for transgender patients. Jonah, a gay man, is the first to be fired when he refuses to abandon his patients. Stunned by the predicament of her closest friend, Georgia’s natural instinct is to fight alongside him. But when her attempts to address the situation result in incalculable harm, both Georgia and Jonah find themselves facing the loss of much more than their careers. (Courtesy of Amazon.)

What is something you learned from writing The Queen of Hearts that you applied to The Antidote for Everything?
I learned I need an editor! I’d keep writing endlessly if no one reined me in. Also, sometimes my sense of humor is quite stupid.

How are you similar to or different from the main characters of The Antidote?
I think most authors incorporate something of themselves into their protagonists, whether consciously or unconsciously. I did deliberately give both Georgia and Jonah some features you could accuse me of possessing— I’m a bossy science geek, like Georgia, and I gotta admit some of Jonah’s goofiness hits close to home. (And I always have at least one character in my novels who hails from the great state of Kentucky!) But obviously, the more you write a character the more they take on a life of their own. I’m very fond of these two, warts and all.

If The Antidote were made into a movie, who would play the leading roles?
We have a term for this exercise in the writing biz: casturbation. It’s super-fun. Here are my choices:

Georgia the Urologist/Narrator: Jennifer Lawrence is one of my favorite actresses and like me and Georgia, she’s a native Kentuckian. But also maybe a redhead, like Rose Leslie or Emma Stone.

Jonah the Family Medicine Doctor/Best Friend: Godfrey Gao would be sweet! I love his acting.

Mark the Love Interest: Danny Pino or Ryan Reynolds

Darby the Rehab Doctor/Southern Belle: Reese Witherspoon or Kristen Bell

Donovan the Anesthesiologist/Complicated Villain: Paul Bettany. I think it’s mandatory that he play the villain in all movies.

Edwin the Hot Security Guy: Colton Haynes

What is the last movie you saw that you would recommend?
I really liked Booksmart. In a general I am a big fan of Nerd Fiction.

What is the strangest dream you remember having?
For years I had a recurrent dream about a tiny blond brown-eyed girl who bossed me around. I don’t believe in the supernatural but my first child personifies this dream person pretty well, even down to her appearance.

If you could travel through time, would you go to the past or to the future?
No question at all: I’d go to the future. I’m absolutely fascinated by the way technological advances will alter society over the next decades and centuries. We are living on the cusp of the most impactful evolution in human history and I want to know how it turns out.

Thanks to Kimmery for chatting with us and to Berkley 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 February 23rd at midnight EST.