



Mitchard returns to the Cappadoras from The Deep End of the Ocean (Oprah’s first book club pick), proving that, sometimes, sequels work. In this harrowing outing, set 13 years after the events of Ocean, the oldest Cappadora son, Vincent, 29, has become a filmmaker, and with the help of his brother, Ben (who was kidnapped in the first book), and sister, Kerry, makes a documentary about child abduction. When the film is nominated for an Academy Award, the family is pushed into the scrutinizing eye of the public, and then tragedy strikes with the disappearance of Ben’s daughter, plunging the family into a riveting ordeal that takes them from Hollywood to a grim, middle-of-nowhere confrontation. Along the way, family bonds are stretched to the breaking point, and Mitchard charts a tormented family dynamic with shocking ease. This action-packed and emotionally rich drama is every bit as satisfying as its predecessor.
For more WOW, visit Jill at Breaking the Spine
Download the short story prequel, SAVING SAVANNAH.
“Though the air is frigid, the sun makes a valiant effort to warm these rocks, this place, my face. The coast is not cold in the way that people think, or even in the way I imagined before I came. The coldness is threaded with warmth, tempered by moments of grace.”
Deidre McIntosh finally has all the ingredients for a perfect life. She has her own line of cakes and cookies, and the perfect boyfriend, Kevin Johnson, one of Seattle’s top bachelors. Creative, energetic, and loving, Deidre is the person friends go to when they need a helping hand.
But when Kevin’s ex-fiancée, the sultry and successful magazine publisher Sabine Durant, suddenly appears in Seattle, it’s Deidre who needs help. Already intimidated by Kevin’s glamorous, moneyed world–and his sister, who wants Deidre out of Kevin’s life–she knows she’s no match for Sabine.
Deidre turns to her friends for advice, but finds they’re having crises of their own. When her business begins to slip from her fingers, Deidre knows she must to do something to keep her career and her love life from imploding. Can everyone’s favorite go-to person save herself?
* * * * * * *
From the moment I finished reading Good Things by Mia King I’ve been keeping an eye out for the sequel. I finally got my hands on a copy of Table Manners and am pleased to tell you that Ms. King gives readers a sequel that is sweet, fun and satisfying.
Deidre’s life, although good, has become hectic. She’s helping her friends William and Alain plan their commitment ceremony; launching a new pastry line; and then travels to help another friend in dire need of her assistance in Jacob’s Point (a small lakeside community and location of Kevin’s vacation home). Toss into the mix Kevin’s ex-fiancee and you’ve got a recipe for disaster.
Will Deidre and Kevin’s relationship survive the challenges and obstacles in their path? Well, you’ll just have to find out for yourself. Table Manners could be a stand alone novel but I recommend reading Good Things first. You’ll want to read about Deidre and Kevin from the very beginning.
One more thing: stock your pantry because you’re probably going to want to bake or cook after reading these books. There are recipes!
Review copy from Penguin Group
I’m delighted to have Terry Kate write a guest post today. She writes about an interesting subject that I hope generates some good comments. Please join in!
Hello fellow readers,
Mary has been kind enough to invite me here to discuss questions I have been going over about what books and what genres I read, and what inspires me to break out of that box. The more I thought about my own personal answers the more I wondered how other readers felt.
So here the questions are…
Do we as readers often cross over from genre to genre? If I read Contemporary Women’s Fiction does that mean that is all I read? What would encourage me to move into another genre?
As the creator of a multi-genre website I talk to authors from all of the Romance related genres. (They need to have a romantic element to be on Romance in the Backseat, I mean, it has Romance in the title.) When it comes to areas like Suspense, which I do not read, many of the authors mentioned are new to me. This is not to say that I have never read Suspense or Romantic Suspense, I just tend to walk right by them on the bookstore shelf.
A vast majority of the Suspense I have read was written by authors I followed into the genre Linda Howard, for example. I read her Suspense novels up until her last few books, which are now so far removed from her romances that I am no longer interested. Then there are other authors that moved into the genre that I did not follow like Julie Garwood. The minute she stopped writing Historicals she lost me as a reader.
Sometimes just hearing about an interesting book will make me step out of the norm. Sometimes something about the author will catch my attention, or just a book excerpt posted online. Meeting authors through my interviews has turned me on to a number of books I never would have looked at otherwise. Like paranormal author Virginia Kantra. If I had never met her and listened to her talk about her books they would not have been a blip on my radar.
What makes you pick up a book? Is it genre, author, story, reviews, excerpts? The internet and fabulous bloggers like Mary often open our eyes to books we might not have looked at otherwise. I personally only read two or three genres and how often do I pick up a book outside my preferences? Hmmm… I am not too sure, but from now on I will be paying attention and keeping a more open mind.
Thanks Mary,
Terry Kate