Guest Book Review and Giveaway: The Fun Widow's Book Tour

By Allyson Bales

Mia, a self-proclaimed “mid-lister” author and mother of “the dudes,” lost her husband  a few years ago and is struggling to move on.  She recently wrote a memoir about the loss of her husband and widowhood and it's not doing very well.  Her three best friends encourage Mia to go on a book tour to promote the memoir and figure out what’s next.  She has spent the last few years writing, taking care of her sons, and not much else.  Her father, Ira, agrees to watch the boys and Mia agrees to promote her book while also visiting her three best friends and begrudgingly her stepmother, Judy.  

The story begins with Mia awaiting advance reader reviews and I really enjoyed the glimpse into the publishing world.  Being able to read and review books early is such a gift and I had no idea how much effort is made in publishing and promoting a book.  Not to mention the stress of the early reviews on the author!  I really enjoyed learning about that process and seeing it through Mia’s eyes.

I also really adored the beautiful showcase of friendship.  I loved the dynamic between Mia, Chelsea, Rachel, and George.  They all root for one another and back each other up with no apologies.  It was emotional seeing Mia’s attempts at helping her friends work on their relationships.  Fishman’s writing is incredibly tender, raw, and incredibly descriptive.  There were times when I felt like I was right next to Mia in San Francisco, Chicago or Atlanta.  Additionally, many of us can relate to complicated relationships with our parents and Mia and Ira working through some of their struggles was really heartwarming.  Ira is direct and tough on Mia but also incredibly proud and supportive in his own way.  I really loved Ira.

What I did not expect was the prominence of Coronavirus in this book as Mia’s book tour starts right at the beginning of the pandemic.  Corona as a secondary character brought me right back to March of 2020.  My how far we have come but what a reminder of what we all went through during that time. Reading about the unknown, schools closing, and whether or not hugging is safe was jolting! 

The Fun Widow’s Book Tour is perfect for someone struggling with grief and working to find the strength and courage to move on and save themselves.  There were so many beautiful moments and quotes that I will treasure.  Here is one of my favorites.  “She knew that they all had a clock ticking on their lives, an expiration date that was out of their control.  Once you know that, your entire perception of the world changes.  It was a conscious choice every day to find joy.”

Thanks to William Morrow for the book in exchange for an honest review. They have a copy to share with a lucky reader!

Allyson Bales lives in New Jersey.  She is an art therapist working with at-risk youth and loves making a difference.  Books have been her saving grace and really helped her manage being a front line worker during the Pandemic.  When she’s not helping others, she loves to travel and camp with her wife.  One of her favorite places to read is by a campfire with some good tunes in the background.  You can find her on Bookstagram at @readswithally.

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Giveaway ends April 16th at midnight EST.

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Book Review: Murder in Florence

By Sara Steven

A glamourous film star…

Life as a private investigator in the suburbs of Florence isn’t always as glamourous as Dan Armstrong imagined it to be, until he is asked to investigate a recent spate of violent attacks on a Hollywood movie set in Florence. The star of the show, movie-star royalty Selena Gardner, fears her life is in imminent danger…

Foul play on set…

As Dan investigates, he discovers secrets and scandals are rife within the cast and crew. But with no actual murder, Dan believes these attacks could simply be warnings to someone…until the first body is found.

A dangerous killer on the loose.

Now Dan and his trusty sidekick Oscar are in a race against time to catch the murderer. But the more Dan uncovers, the more the killer strikes and Dan finds himself caught in the line of fire too! Is this one case Dan and Oscar will regret? (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads)

So far, this is my favorite in the Armstrong and Oscar Cozy Mystery Series! Everything was laid out perfectly, creating a wonderful mystery from start to finish. The movie set angle was amazing! I loved the premise behind it, along with the unique way that the culprit leaves behind their calling card through archery. It really felt as though Dan was in his element, along with Oscar, his trusty canine sidekick. There were touches of humor spread throughout as well, particularly when Dan has to dress up like the rest of the cast and crew, in what I imagine to be like what I’d see when I go to my local Renaissance Faire.

I loved the build-up. With the first attack, it posed a threat–until the next attack, where someone ends up dead. From there, the stack kept building with intensity and intrigue, and I wasn’t sure what would happen next, or who would be the next target. Dan approaches it with methodical and analytical measure, allowing me my own checklist right along with him, keeping tabs on potential suspects. I love puzzles, and Murder in Florence felt like one gigantic puzzle the reader gets to solve, without giving anything away until the precise moment. 

One particular scene with Dan and Oscar in the woods proved to be pretty epic. Has Dan been the target all along, or is someone else at risk? How close is he to breaking the case? And at what cost to those he cares for? 

As always, a T.A. Williams story wouldn’t be complete without fantastic scenery, which often becomes another character. Dan and Oscar could have solved this mystery anywhere, but it wouldn’t feel right if it hadn’t been in Florence. A friend of mine is an avid reader of T.A. Williams and we both commiserate on how much we’d love to visit Tuscany someday, fueled on by the beautiful backdrop and the delicious food that Williams provides within his books. It’s so nice to have that experience, along with helping Dan solve murder mysteries along the way. This was a definite five-star experience!

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

Purchase Links:

Amazon US * Amazon UK

T. A. Williams is the author of over twenty bestselling romances for HQ and Canelo and is now turning his hand to cosy crime, set in his beloved Italy, for Boldwood. The series introduces us to retired DCI Armstrong and his labrador Oscar and the first book, entitled Murder in Tuscany, was published in October 2022. Trevor lives in Devon with his Italian wife.

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What's in the (e)mail

Melissa:
Unorthodox Love by Heidi Shertok from Embla (NetGalley)

Going Bicoastal by Dahlia Adler from St. Martin's Press (NetGalley)

Community Board by Tara Conklin from HarperCollins (print)

There's No Coming Back from This by Ann Garvin from Lake Union (print)

He Said He Would Be Late by Justine Sullivan from Henry Holt (ebook)

The Woman at the Wheel by Penny Haw from Sourcebooks (NetGalley)

Reasonable Adults by Robin Lefler from Kensington (NetGalley)

In the Case of Heartbreak by Courtney Kae from Kensington (NetGalley)

Most Hated by/from Kara Alloway (NetGalley)

Love Child by Ashley Farley from Bette Lee Crosby (ebook)

The Boyfriend Candidate by Ashley Winstead from Graydon House (NetGalley)

The Better Half by Alli Frank and Asha Youmans from Mindy's Book Studio (NetGalley)

Fly With Me by Andie Burke from St. Martin's Press (NetGalley)

Love at 350° by Lisa Peers from Random House (NetGalley)

Cleat Cute by Meryl Wilsner from St. Martin's Press (NetGalley)

A Girl Called Samson by Amy Harmon from Lake Union (NetGalley)

Sara:
The Foster Wife by/from Cindy Dorminy (ebook)
It Could Never Happen Here by Eithne Shortall from Independent Publishing Group (ebook)
Sammy Espinoza's Last Review by Tehlor Kay Mejia from Random House (NetGalley)

Spin the Bottle by Isabella May from Rachel's Random Resources (ebook)

Kiss the Sky by Krista and Becca Ritchie from Berkley (NetGalley)

The Memory of You by Samantha Tonge from Rachel's Random Resources (NetGalley)

Jami:

The Caretakers by Amanda Bestor-Siegal from William Morrow (print)

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Book Review: You Should Have Known

By Jami Denison

Getting old sucks, the joke goes, but it’s better than the alternative. 

You Should Have Known, Rebecca Keller’s debut mystery, features a 72-year-old protagonist, and is written in such a smooth first-person point of view that reading it made me feel two decades older. What’s it like when your life shrinks to a small apartment? When reaching down in the shower risks a fall? What does it feel like when your best moments are all in your past? And when that past comes back to haunt you… or presents opportunities for revenge? 

Frannie (Francine) Greene is a retired nurse and widow with two grown children. She’s already downsized to a condo, and after a few falls, her children have insisted that she move into an independent living facility that can seamlessly support its residents as they continue to age. At first, Frannie feels like a twelve-year-old at a new school – where will she sit for meals? How can she make friends? But then she meets Katherine, a courtly, genteel southern woman, who lives on the campus with her husband. A retired judge, Nathaniel usually keeps Katherine on a tight leash, but when he goes out of town for a week, the women bond, taking walks and watching The Young and the Restless together. But Frannie keeps quiet about the tragedies in her life – her granddaughter Bethany was killed by a drunk driver, and her daughter Iris attempted suicide as a result of her grief. 

When Nathaniel returns, Frannie makes a horrifying connection – he was the judge who sentenced Bethany’s killer to home confinement, a man who was later accused of accepting bribes that kept the driver on the road when he should have been in jail. Overcome with anger and grief, fantasizing about ways to get even, Frannie notices that the night nurse leaves the medication cart unattended in the evenings. And Nathaniel takes the same medication her late husband did… 

I’m not 72, and I haven’t had the tragedies that Frannie had, but Keller put me right in Frannie’s shoes. Her characterization is so compelling, I thought the author was in her seventies. (She has a mother who lives in one of these facilities.) The relationships feel authentic – from Frannie’s deep connections to her children and grandchildren, to the new ties she forms with the residents of the retirement home.  And Keller does a masterful job at weaving in all the other threads that the novel presents: immigration, sexism, racism, even religion. 

The pacing is a little slower than most murder mysteries tend to be, but that felt like a natural result of the age of the protagonist and the story’s setting. There was a plot point I found unbelievable – that the relatives of a sick elderly person would request an autopsy – but as a writer, I understood it was necessary to drive the last third of the book. 

Overall, You Should Have Known is a compelling novel that, thematically, goes beyond the plot to ask deeper questions about the responsibilities people have to each other, and the ripple effects of their actions. While retirement gives folks ample time to ponder what they’ve done over the course of their lives, it’s never too soon to start asking these questions.  

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

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Book Review: Darren, Andrew and Mrs. Hall

By Sara Steven

A tale of two husbands, two wives, and the woman in between.

It is a June day and the rain is lashing down as Emma and Andrew move into the house of their dreams in an affluent London suburb. Two doors away, dejected Darren and Kelly are downsizing into their new home.

It doesn’t take long for the women to hit it off despite being opposites in many ways. Meanwhile Andrew, a teacher and poet, and Darren, an alarm systems installer, are at loggerheads from the word go.

When Emma and Kelly decide to take breaks away together – to a spa, a countryside retreat, the Scottish Highlands – their men feel abandoned. Their animosity grows and the loyalty to their wives is tested when Mrs. Hall moves in as their in-between neighbour. But who exactly is this woman and what game is she playing?

The wives return from a stay in Scotland to discover that a lot has changed. Will their marriages be robust enough to survive? (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads)

Darren, Andrew and Mrs. Hall reminded me of The Odd Couple, but with actual couples. Emma and Andrew appear to be the more “posh” couple, considering that both characters are teachers and Andrew is a published poet. Affluence appears to be a lot more important to them, more-so Andrew, which is why it’s a tough go for him in meeting Darren. Darren and his wife, Kelly, are a lot more down-to-earth and blue collar. This doesn’t deter Emma and Kelly from becoming instant friends, yet it provides a ton of issues between the men. It doesn’t appear they have much to bond over.

Both couples have been married for a very long time, their relationships feeling stagnant. It’s a big reason that the women decide to embark on trips together, where they can commiserate on shared experiences within their marriages. It was fun to see what would become of Andrew and Darren. If they might set aside their differences and forge a friendship while the wives are away, or not. That sentiment would come and go often within the book. When Mrs. Hall moves in between their houses, there are glimpses of The Seven Year Itch and Grumpy Old Men sprinkled within, particularly when both men try to gain the attention of the attractive woman who has sparked an interest in them both. Is this a sign of things to come? 

I felt the author did a great job of staying true to the characterizations. There’s a scene where Andrew and Darren get into a fight, and when Darren takes things too far, involving a poor outsider who had nothing to do with it, his response is to immediately insist on not apologizing, because it’s not his fault–it’s Andrew’s fault. Yet, later, when Andrew needs help, Darren is right there to do all he can for his “friend.” This is the sort of repeated pattern we see from Darren throughout the story; he comes off as a very rigid, unforgiving person, yet he’s there for those he cares about without any hesitation. Each character has their own set of do’s and don’ts and who they are and won’t be, and it stays consistent. Even if it’s to their own detriment.

There were some interesting moments shared between the women, too. I wasn’t sure at times where things were going with Emma and Kelly, particularly when they would go on their trips. It felt like there might potentially be something more there, so that was a twist. Ultimately, I enjoyed the gentle turbulence shared between the couples, focusing on real-life issues that are often present in relationships and often go unsaid.

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

Purchase Links:
Amazon US * Amazon UK

R J Gould writes contemporary fiction about relationships using a mix of wry humour and pathos to describe the tragi-comic life journeys of his protagonists. Darren, Andrew and Mrs. Hall is his eighth novel and follows The Engagement Party, Jack and Jill Went Downhill, Mid-life follies, The bench by Cromer beach, Nothing Man, Dream Café, and Then and Now. He has been published by Headline Accent and Lume Books and also self-publishes. Before becoming a full-time author he worked in the education and charity sectors. In addition to his addiction to telling stories, he has somewhat milder addictions to playing tennis, watching film noir cinema, completing Wordle and eating dried mango slices. He is a member of Cambridge Writers and the Romantic Novelists’ Association UK and lives in Cambridge, England.

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Guest Book Review and Giveaway: The Plus One

By Melissa Smoot

She’s not looking to fix him. She’s looking to love him, if he’ll let her in.

Some facts are indisputable. The sun rises in the east, sets in the west. Gravity exists. Indira doesn’t like Jude. Jude doesn’t like Indira. But what happens when these childhood enemies find the only thing they can rely on is each other?

On paper, Indira has everything together. An amazing job, a boyfriend, and a car. What more could a late twenty-something ask for? But when she walks in on her boyfriend in an amorous embrace with a stranger, that perfect on paper image goes up in flames.

Jude has nothing together. A doctor that’s spent the last three years traveling the world to treat emergencies and humanitarian crises, a quick trip home for his best friend’s wedding has him struggling to readjust.

Thrust into an elaborate (and ridiculously drawn out) wedding event that’s stressing Jude beyond belief and has Indira seeing her ex and his new girlfriend far more frequently than any human should endure, the duo strike a bargain to be each other’s fake dates to this wedding from hell. The only problem is, their forced proximity and fake displays of affection are starting to feel a bit…real, and both are left grappling with the idea that a situation that couldn’t be worse, is made a little better with the other around. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

There were many things I really enjoyed about The Plus One. First, it takes place in an area of Philadelphia, called Manayunk, that I am very familiar with. This made it extremely easy for me to picture the setting that the author was attempting to convey, and I knew of many of the landmarks and restaurants that the characters went to in the book.

 I also like how descriptive this author’s writing is. I could easily picture the characters in my mind, as I read the story. Mazey had a lot of very diverse characters and the book felt very inclusive without it seeming like she was trying too hard. One major thing about this book is that it deals very heavily with PTSD, Trauma, Abandonment, and mental health overall. There is a Content Warning at the start of the book, which I appreciated. At no time was the content of the story too much for me to handle, personally, but that may not be the case for everyone, so it was nice that the warning was added.

The main premise of the story is about two childhood neighbors, Indira and Jude, that have always despised one another since their youth. Jude also happens to be Indira’s brother’s best friend. Fast forward to their adulthood and Indira’s brother is getting married and Jude is returning from his stint as a doctor overseas to attend the wedding. Indira and Jude are thrown into all sorts of random situations with one another and from there, the story really starts to take hold.

I really enjoyed this story and all the characters in it. I would recommend it to anyone looking for something other than the typical, predictable rom-com type read.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for the book in exchange for an honest review. They have THREE copies to give away! 

Melissa Smoot grew up two doors away from Melissa Amster in the Chicago suburbs. They reconnected in the 2000s and started CLC together. After taking some time off, Melissa is starting to review for us again. She lives near Scottsdale, Arizona with her adorable dog.

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Book Review: I Love You, Always, Forever

By Sara Steven

Life is full of highs and lows, but it’s who helps us through that counts.

Stumbling across her teenage diaries in her childhood home, Charlie is instantly transported to the 1990s.

She relives all the emotions and feelings as memories come flooding back, from first kiss to first love and everything in between.

Back in the present and Charlie discovers that even in the darkest of times, light and laughter can ALWAYS be found.

A heartfelt journey through life, from teenage angst to the trials and tribulations of adulthood. Family, friendship and romance weave throughout but who will love you, always, forever? (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon)

A girl with a heart like my own! I still have all of my diaries and journals from my own teen years in the 90s, and like Charlie, I like to read mine from time to time, instantly bringing me back to a much simpler time, even though I felt like it was anything but back then. Charlie experiences the same thing. We see Charlie fall into that one relationship that really left an imprint on her, the pureness of it helping to balance out the present, with illness and loss, and the trials and tribulations that can happen as we change and evolve. 

The story is told in two ways: the past, where she remembers how things had begun with Christian, and then, the here and now, where there is a lot she has to deal with and feels she has to fix. My favorite are the flashbacks. I could really see and feel a young Charlie, navigating the newness of a budding romance with Christian, down to the intimate moments that showcased her inexperience and youthfulness. It prompted me to recall those sorts of moments that I’d experienced myself, the times where I felt like I was on the precipice of going from childhood to adulthood. The flashbacks from Charlie were relayed well to the reader.

The adult Charlie was realistic, too, with responsibilities and yearning for the girl she used to be. I got the impression that she’s the one who has to hold it all together for her family, which is a lot of weight to carry. When a crisis happens, like one particular moment involving her mother, she talks about how she’s well aware that her mom won’t be able to retain the information she’s being given, so it’s up to her to remember it, and all the while with no emotion. She has to be the strong one. It’s no wonder the diaries are so important to her. 

Equal parts serious and lighthearted, I Love You, Always, Forever was an interesting trip down memory lane, bringing me back to the days of Nirvana t-shirts, scrunchies, and goth. It was an entertaining read!

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

Purchase Links:
Amazon US * Amazon UK

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