Happy Thanksgiving

My son made the pine cone turkey when he was a Cub Scout about twenty years ago. It always has a place of honor at our Thanksgiving table 🙂

I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving.

Merry Ex-Mas by Sheila Roberts

Title:  Merry Ex-Mas (Icicle Falls #2)

Author:  Sheila Roberts

Genre:  Contemporary Fiction (Light Romance); Christmas

Published:  October 2012 – Harlequin MIRA

Synopsis: (publisher) Christmas in Icicle Falls…

Cass Wilkes, owner of the Gingerbread Haus bakery, was looking forward to her daughter Danielle’s wedding…until Dani announced that she wants her father, Cass’s ex, to walk her down the aisle. Seriously? And, since every B and B is full, it looks as if he, his trophy wife and their yappy little dog will be staying with Cass.

Her friend Charlene Albach arrives at their weekly chick-flick night in shock. She’s just seen the ghost of Christmas past: her ex-husband, Richard, who left her a year ago. He ran off with the hostess from her restaurant, Zelda’s, to start a new life (and restaurant) in Seattle. Now the hostess is history and he wants to kiss and make up. Hide the mistletoe!

And bring out the hot buttered rum, because the holidays aren’t so easy for Ella O’Brien, either. Ella, who’s newly divorced, is still sharing the house with her ex while they wait for the place to sell, and they’re still fighting over all the things they fought over when they were married. The love is gone. Isn’t it?

But Christmas has a way of working its magic. One of these women is about to rediscover love, another is going to remember what’s important in life and the third will find new dreams in the new year. Merry Ex-mas, ladies!

My take:  Sheila Roberts takes us back to Icicle Falls, the picturesque Washington mountain town (and the setting of Better Than Chocolate), home to what I found to be completely relatable characters in relatable circumstances. 

In this book, we find secondary characters from Better Than Chocolate in the lead roles:

Cass, owner of the local bakery, is surprised by her daughter’s post-Thanksgiving engagement announcement and even more surprised that the wedding will take place before Christmas! She’s flabbergasted that her home is the only place with a vacancy for her ex-husband and his much younger second wife. Oh my goodness.

Charley is now the sole owner of a popular local restaurant after her ex ran off with their hostess. She’s surprised to see him back in town. Without the hostess. What is that all about?

Ella runs an upscale boutique (which is owned by her mother) and is newly divorced. How she ever fell for that no-good country singer wannabe is beyond her mother. Ella and Jake are still living under the same roof because, until they sell their house, they can’t afford to live elsewhere. Jake’s mother-in-law did everything in her power to break them up and she won. Or did she? Be careful, mama, or your ex son-in-law may dedicate a song to you! (see video below ;))

This is a Contemporary Christmas novel so if you imagine the ending will be predictable, you’re right! What isn’t predictable is how the ending is reached. Merry Ex-Mas is filled with typical Sheila Roberts humor and entertaining characters. I found it to be a perfectly fun seasonal read.

Recommended to fans of Sheila Roberts, Contemporary Light Romance, and Christmas novels.

Disclosure:  Review copy from the publisher. I was not compensated for my review.

  ♦  ♦  ♦

About the author:

Sheila Roberts is married and has three children. She lives on a lake in the Pacific Northwest. Her novels have
appeared in Reader’s Digest Condensed Books and have been published in several languages. Her book Angel Lane was an Amazon Top Ten Romance pick for 2009 and her holiday perennial On Strike for Christmas was made into a movie for the Lifetime Movie Network. When she’s not hanging out with her girlfriends or hitting the dance floor with her husband, she can be found writing about those things dear to women’s hearts: family, friends and chocolate.

Links

• Harlequin’s Website

• Sheila Roberts’ Website

Mailbox Monday

November host: Kathy at BermudaOnion

♦

After seeing numerous tweets and blog reviews about The Art Forger I bought the audiobook.

Goodreads synopsis: On March 18, 1990, thirteen works of art today worth over $500 million were stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. It remains the largest unsolved art heist in history, and Claire Roth, a struggling young artist, is about to discover that there’s more to this crime than meets the eye. Making a living reproducing famous artworks for a popular online retailer and desperate to improve her situation, Claire is lured into a Faustian bargain with Aiden Markel, a powerful gallery owner. She agrees to forge a painting–a Degas masterpiece stolen from the Gardner Museum–in exchange for a one-woman show in his renowned gallery. But when that very same long-missing Degas painting is delivered to Claire’s studio, she begins to suspect that it may itself be a forgery. Her desperate search for the truth leads Claire into a labyrinth of deceit where secrets hidden since the late nineteenth century may be the only evidence that can now save her life.

♦

Goodreads synopsis: Fans of Jennifer Weiner and Emily Giffin are sure to fall in love with Katherine Center’s most heartwarming and engaging novel yet-about how even losing the most important thing in your life can help you find yourself again.

After the sudden loss of her husband in a car crash, Libby Moran falls on hard times-so hard, in fact, that she’s forced to move in with her hyper-critical mother. There, sleeping on the pull-out sofa so her two children can share the guest room, she can’t stop longing for the life she had. So when a letter arrives from Libby’s estranged aunt offering her a job and a place to live on her goat farm, Libby jumps at the opportunity. But starting over is never easy. With an aunt who is nothing like she imagined, a shaggy farm manager with a tragic past, a psychic at the feed store who claims to be able to contact the dead, and a bully at her daughter’s school, country life isn’t at all what Libby expected. But it also offers her what no other place can: A chance to define the good life for herself. A chance to piece together the mysteries of her own past. A chance, even, at love. And, finally, a chance to bring herself, and her family, back to life.

♦

Goodreads synopsis: At Madeline’s Tea Salon, the cozy hub of the Avalon community, local residents scrapbook their memories and make new ones. But across town, other Avalonians are struggling to free themselves of the past: Isabel Kidd is fixing up her ramshackle house while sorting through the complications of her late husband’s affair. Ava Catalina is mourning the love of her life and helping her young son grow up without his father. Local plumber Yvonne Tate is smart, beautiful, and new to Avalon, but finds that despite a decade of living life on her own terms, the past has a way of catching up—no matter where she goes. And Frances Latham, mother to a boisterous brood of boys, eagerly anticipates the arrival of a little girl from China—unprepared for the emotional roller coaster of foreign adoption.

Enter Bettie Shelton, the irascible founder of the Avalon Ladies Scrapbooking Society. Under Bettie’s guidance, even the most reluctant of Avalon’s residents come to terms with their past and make bold decisions about their future. But when the group receives unexpected news about their steadfast leader, they must pull together to create something truly memorable.

What was in your mailbox?

My Kind of Christmas by Robyn Carr

Title:  My Kind of Christmas (Virgin River #20)

Author:  Robyn Carr

Genre:  Contemporary Romance series

Published:  October 2012 – Harlequin/MIRA

My take:  Angie LaCroix cannot spend another minute under her parents’ roof. She’s grateful that her mother took care of her after a terrible car crash several months earlier but she can’t take the micromanaging where her future is concerned. She decides to get out of town for a few weeks and heads to Virgin River where her uncle Jack and other relatives live.

Patrick Riordan landed in Virgin River to take some time and figure out if he wants to remain in the Navy or take his life in a new direction. He’s staying at the cabin of one of his brothers – he has four and most live in the area. Patrick is dealing with PTSD after his best friend (and wingman) was shot down in the middle East. He feels responsible and has pledged to look after his friend’s wife and child – maybe even marry her.

What Angie and Patrick don’t count on is meeting each other. It’s an instant attraction that can’t be ignored – even if they tell each other it can’t be permanent.

Well, this is a romance. A Robyn Carr Virgin River romance. You can guess where this story will go and Robyn Carr doesn’t disappoint. It was hard not to smile while watching the love story unfold. It was fun to see appearances of characters from earlier books in the series – most of them relatives of Angie and Patrick who provided a lot of comic relief. There’s also a heart-warming subplot within the love story. It allowed Angie to shine and find a bit of herself she thought was gone.

If you’re a fan of the series I think you’ll enjoy My Kind of Christmas as much as I did. If you like Contemporary Romance but haven’t read a Virgin River book I recommend starting with book one and enjoy getting to know the people of the small California mountain town. It’s my favorite CR series.

Disclosure:  I received a review copy from the publisher via NetGalley. I was not compensated for my review.

Mailbox Monday

November host: Kathy at BermudaOnion

♦

Only one book in my mailbox last week:

Goodreads synopsis: A Woman who is Superstitious to the Core…

A Boy who claims his Parents are Dead…

A Murderer who wants to Silence the Truth of What Happened.

Olivia Westerly knows what she knows—opals mean disaster, eleven is the unluckiest number on earth and children weigh a woman down like a pocketful of stones. That’s why she’s avoided marriage for almost forty years. But when Charlie Doyle happened along, he was simply too wonderful to resist. Now she’s a widow with an eleven-year-old boy claiming to be her grandson.

Spare Change is a quirky mix of Southern flair, serious thoughts about the important things in life, the madcap adventures of a young boy and a late change of heart that makes all the difference in an unusually independent woman. 

With a foul mouth, dark secrets and heavily guarded emotions, Ethan Allen Doyle is not an easy child to like. He was counting on the grandpa he’d never met for a place to hide, but now that plan is shot to blazes because the grandpa’s dead too. He’s got seven dollars and twenty-six cents, his mama’s will for staying alive, and Dog. But none of those things are gonna help if Scooter Cobb finds him.

♦

What was in your mailbox?

‘Twas the Night After Christmas by Sabrina Jeffries

Title:  ‘Twas the Night After Christmas

#6 Hellions of Halstead Hall (works fine as a stand alone)

Author:  Sabrina Jeffries

Genre:  Historical Romance – Christmas

Published:  October 2012 – Gallery Books

Synopsis:  Pierce Waverly, the Earl of Devonmont, has been estranged from his mother for most of his life. When his mother’s new companion, Mrs. Camilla Stuart, writes to tell him that his mother is seriously ill, he goes home. But when he learns that the lovely widow tricked him in order to effect a holiday reconciliation, he refuses to stay—unless she meets his “terms.” Somewhere between trying to seduce the beautiful Camilla and struggling with the cruel memories of his childhood Christmases, Pierce discovers that not only does forgiveness go two ways, but that love can blossom even in the coldest of winters.

My take:  ‘Twas the Night After Christmas is Sabrina Jeffries’ newest addition to the Hellions of Halstead Hall series. I have the first book but haven’t read it yet. As it turns out, I don’t think one needs to have read the previous five books to enjoy this book.

I think what I liked most about this novel is the theme of forgiveness and that it helps the person who forgives even more than the one forgiven. Pierce Waverly has no intention of forgiving his mother. She turned her back on him when he was a young boy which made him the man he has become: someone who refuses to commit to any woman lest she leave him too. He will maintain control in any situation. That all goes out the window when he meets his mother’s companion, Mrs. Camilla Stuart. Because of her own childhood and circumstances since – she’s a widow with a young son, Camilla understands him in a way no other person has before. But she also understands how a mother would do anything to protect her child.

I enjoyed the humor and energy Jeffries’ characters shared. It made the pages fly as I had to see how it would all turn out. It was also fun to see how the poem The Night Before Christmas worked into the novel.

Near the end there’s a new character introduced that I subsequently learned will be in an upcoming series. I’m looking forward to The Duke’s Men.

I recommend ‘Twas the Night After Christmas to fans of Historical Romance and HR with a Christmas theme.

Disclosure:  I received my copy from the publisher. I was not compensated for my review.

Whole Latte Life by Joanne DeMaio

Title:  Whole Latte Life

Author:  Joanne DeMaio

Genre:  Contemporary Fiction

Published:  March 2012 – CreateSpace

Formats:  Paperback – 336 pages; eBook

ISBN:   9781466427501

Synopsis:  Would you leave everything behind to know who you are?

Sara Beth Riley never dreamt she’d walk straight out of her life. Actually she’d never dreamt a lot of things that had happened this year … From being kidnapped by her own best friend, to throwing her wedding rings into the Hudson River, to calling an old love in France, to getting inked with said best friend, painting the passionate constellation of these choices into permanence. But mostly, she could never have dreamt what started it all. How could it be that her mother’s unexpected death, and the grief which lingered painfully long, turned her into the woman she was finally meant to become?

Sara Beth’s escape begins a summer of change – of herself, of marriage, of the lives of those around her. In a story that moves from Manhattan to the sea to a quaint New England town, Whole Latte Life looks at friends we never forget, at decisions we linger with, at our attempts to live the lives we love.

My take:  When Sara Beth’s mother died she lost her biggest cheerleader. They were so close and with her unexpected passing Sara Beth is devastated. Her children and husband seem to take her for granted and she feels life just keeps going in spite of the immense grief she’s experiencing. She needs time to regroup and figure things out – things her friend Rachel thought they could do on their girls’ birthday weekend in New York. However, Sara Beth decides to go it alone instead of meeting her friend for a prearranged lunch. The note she has a waiter  deliver to Rachel says not to worry, she’ll meet her at the hotel in two days.

Rachel is frantic that something terrible will happen to Sara Beth. She stops a mounted police officer, Michael, who ends up helping Rachel try to track her friend down. Michael. What a great character! Loved him, flaws and all.

Events transpire, time passes, friends come together, family members make an effort to understand. It all came together for a very satisfying novel – especially for this female reader of a certain age. I loved the grown up women who seemed like people in my life. These are women who are willing to take a chance instead of sit quietly on the sidelines of life. Sometimes chances are taken after great encouragement and support from friends and family – that rang true for me.

With so many discussion possibilities, Whole Latte Life would be a great book club choice for my friends – women past the age of 40. I enjoyed it very much and look forward to Joanne DeMaio’s next novel. Recommended.

Disclosure:  I purchased my copy and was subsequently invited to participate in a blog tour. I was not compensated for my review.

About the author:

Joanne DeMaio is an award-winning author of contemporary fiction.  Her bestselling novel Whole Latte Life won First Place in the 2012 Discovery Awards and was selected by Kirkus Reviews as a Critics’ Pick.  It has been featured in USA Today, The Huffington Post, Barnes & Noble’s blog and other outlets.  In addition, her music essays have appeared in literary journals, celebrating her passion for song.  Joanne lives with her family in Connecticut, where the coffee and stories are always brewing.

For more information about Joanne DeMaio and her books visit her website.

Mailbox Monday

November host: BermudaOnion

I bought:

Goodreads synopsis: Enter the world of Homer’s ancient Greece with the enhanced e-book edition of The Song of Achilles. This edition lets you further engage with this compelling story through video interviews with Madeline Miller and Gregory Maguire, bestselling author of the Wicked series, clips from the audio book at the start of each chapter, an illustrated map, and a pop-up gallery featuring over 40 images and descriptions of the characters, armor, and ships found in the book.

The legend begins…

Greece in the age of heroes. Patroclus, an awkward young prince, has been exiled to the kingdom of Phthia to be raised in the shadow of King Peleus and his golden son, Achilles. “The best of all the Greeks”—strong, beautiful, and the child of a goddess—Achilles is everything the shamed Patroclus is not. Yet despite their differences, the boys become steadfast companions. Their bond deepens as they grow into young men and become skilled in the arts of war and medicine—much to the displeasure and the fury of Achilles’ mother, Thetis, a cruel sea goddess with a hatred of mortals.

When word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, the men of Greece, bound by blood and oath, must lay siege to Troy in her name. Seduced by the promise of a glorious destiny, Achilles joins their cause, and torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus follows. Little do they know that the Fates will test them both as never before and demand a terrible sacrifice.

Built on the groundwork of the Iliad, Madeline Miller’s page-turning, profoundly moving, and blisteringly paced retelling of the epic Trojan War marks the launch of a dazzling career.

What was in your mailbox?

Sunday Post

What a week! My thoughts and prayers have been with all who were affected by Sandy. Here’s a pic I took with my phone on Tuesday as she (he?) reached the Lake Michigan shore at Milwaukee:

♦

I posted two reviews last week.

The Shortest Way Home by Juliette Fay

Further Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman by JB Lynn

I’ve started reading Christmas novels – can you believe it’s that time already? I’m ok with that as long as I don’t have to shovel snow yet.

Have a great week!

Further Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman by JB Lynn

Title:  Further Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman

Author:  JB Lynn

Genre:  Romantic Suspense

Published:  October 2012 – Avon Impulse

Synopsis:  Take three wacky aunts, two talking animals, one nervous bride, and an upcoming hit, and you’ve got the follow-up to JB Lynn’s wickedly funny Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman.
Knocking off a drug kingpin was the last thing on Maggie Lee’s to-do list, but when a tragic accident leaves her beloved niece orphaned and in the hospital, Maggie will go to desperate lengths to land the money needed for her care.
But the drug kingpin is the least of her worries. Maggie’s aunts are driving her crazy, her best friend’s turned into a bridezilla …and a knock on the head has given Maggie Dr. Dolittle abilities—she can talk to animals. Unfortunately, they talk back. It’s just another day in the life of this neurotic hitwoman.

My take:  When I finished reading Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman my wish was that it would be the first of a series. Well, my wish was granted with Further Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman! Once again JB Lynn had me laughing as I read about the adventures of Maggie and her two animal sidekicks: an Anole lizard, God (short for Godzilla) and a Doberman, DeeDee (aka Doomsday).

Maggie needs to hire a lawyer quickly when someone threatens to sue for custody of her niece, Katie. To hire a lawyer Maggie needs fast cash. That means she needs to agree to the latest hit request from the mob boss who got her into the hitwoman business to begin with.

JB Lynn throws plenty in Maggie’s way as she deals with family, possible love interests, and those wacky pets. As I read I was impressed with how Lynn nuanced the story and characters just enough to evoke unexpected emotion a time or two.

Recommended to fans of comedic suspense with light romance. I also recommend reading the books in order – you’ll understand the story and characters much more. Because of how this novel ends I look forward to book three in the Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman series.

Disclosure: I received a review copy from the publisher. I was not compensated for my review.

Wendy Wax Book Club Giveaway – Ten Beach Road

 

ENDS OCTOBER 31 AT MIDNIGHT

READ PINK^TM WITH THE WENDY WAX BOOK CLUB GIVEAWAY!

♦  ♦  ♦

Wendy is offering one book club the opportunity to receive 10 copies of the READ PINK ™ edition of TEN BEACH ROAD for their group and a visit with Wendy at an upcoming meeting via Skype or by phone. The winning club will be chosen at random. Please be prepared to share your group’s name and some history about your group. Enter

The Shortest Way Home by Juliette Fay

Title:  The Shortest Way Home

Author:  Juliette Fay

Genre:  Contemporary Fiction

Published:  October 2012 – Penguin

Paperback: 416 pages

Synopsis:  Sean has spent twenty years in Third World war zones and natural disaster areas, fully embracing what he’d always felt was his life’s mission. But when burnout sets in, Sean is reluctantly drawn home to Belham, Massachusetts, the setting of Fay’s much-loved Shelter Me. There, he discovers that his steely aunt, overly dramatic sister, and quirky nephew are having a little natural disaster of their own. When he reconnects with a woman from his past, Sean has to wonder if the bonds of love and loyalty might just rewrite his destiny. Completely relatable, The Shortest Way Home is another perfect serving of a slice of life from the irresistible Fay.

My take:  Sean Doran’s back is killing him and he’s feeling burnt out after years of nursing in third world countries. He takes a break and heads home to Belham, Mass. What he finds when he arrives home are family members who need him just as much, if not more, than the people he left in Africa. He also has to face the reason why he left home to begin with: Huntington’s disease – the cause of his mother’s early death. Has he managed to escape it? Will other family members be diagnosed with it? It hangs over him constantly.

Juliette Fay’s characters stole my heart from the first page. I understood Sean’s motivation, his sister Deirdre’s frustration, and his nephew Kevin’s issues. I loved Aunt Vivvy, Cormac the baker, and Rebecca, a former classmate and friend. By the time I finished reading The Shortest Way Home I felt like they were all family members – that’s how real they seemed. Completely relatable – as stated in the synopsis.

It really is a slice of life novel and it left me hoping Juliette Fay will write another “Belham novel” someday soon. I’m going to want an update on all of the Dorans!

Disclosure:  Review copy provided by the publisher. I was not compensated for my review.

Mailbox Monday

Hosted at Mailbox Monday blog in October

♦

I bought:

City of Women by David R. Gillham

♦

Blackberry Winter by Sarah Jio

♦

Thanks to Kathy @ Bermudaonion:

One Last Thing Before I Go by Jonathan Tropper (audio)

♦

For Review:

Saving Each Other by Victoria Jackson & Ali Guthy

♦

What was in your mailbox?

Sunday Post

The past week was a good one. I’ve been reading some wonderful books – actually, 2012 has been a great year for fiction, hasn’t it? I posted my thoughts about Love Anthony by Lisa Genova. For fun I listened to an older Lisa Kleypas novel. I also read Joanne DeMaio’s lovely Whole Latte Life for an upcoming blog tour.

Earlier in the week I drove across state to visit my parents. The fall colors were fantastic. Here are a couple of pics my dad took:

The house on the right is where I grew up

♦

A view of the back yard. See the green space after the sidewalk ends?

There was a swimming pool in that spot for thirty years!

♦

What have you been reading lately that you recommend? If you’re in the path of Hurricane Sandy, stay safe!

Love Anthony by Lisa Genova (audiobook)

Title:  Love Anthony

Author:  Lisa Genova

Narrator:  Debra Messing

Genre:  Contemporary Fiction

Published:  September 2012 – Simon & Schuster Audio

8 cds – approximately 9 hours

Synopsis:  Olivia Donatelli’s dream of a “normal” life shattered when her son, anthony, was diagnosed with autism at age three. Understanding the world from his perspective felt bewildering, nearly impossible. He didn’t speak. He hated to be touched. He almost never made eye contact. And just as Olivia was starting to realize that happiness and autism could coexist, Anthony died.

Now she’s alone in a cottage on Nantucket, separated from her husband, desperate to understand the meaning of her son’s short life, when a chance encounter with another woman facing her own loss brings Anthony alive again for Olivia in a most unexpected way.

Beth Ellis’s entire life changed with a simple note: “I’m sleeping with Jimmy.” Fourteen years of marriage. Three beautiful daughters. She had never felt so alone. Heartbroken, she finds the pieces of the vivacious, creative person she used to be packed away in a box in her attic. For the first time in years, she uncaps her pen, takes a deep breath, and begins to write. The young but exuberant voice that emerges onto the page is a balm to the turmoil within her, a new beginning, and an astonishing bridge back to herself.

In a piercing story about motherhood, autism, and love, New York Times bestselling author Lisa Genova offers us two unforgettable women on the verge of change and the irrepressible young boy whose unique wisdom helps them both find the courage to move on.

My take:  My first experience with Lisa Genova’s books was Still Alice. Genova took the reader into the life of a woman diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s disease. In Love Anthony the main character is Olivia whose son (on the autism spectrum) has passed away. She feels incredible guilt for various reasons – not the least of which is how her son died.

Love Anthony is also about another woman – Beth. Her life has done a 180 and she’s working through how to go forward. Genova connects the two woman in an intriguing way. They help each other discover that unconditional love is not a one way street and forgiveness may be part of healing.

I liked how Genova’s story wrapped up – maybe not with a beautiful bow but tied up nicely just the same. I appreciated the author’s comments about autism at the end of the book. Recommended.

Debra Messing’s performance was good. Her voice was easy to listen to and I thought she voiced the characters adequately.

Disclosure:  I received a review copy of the audiobook from the publisher via Audiobook Jukebox. I was not compensated for my review.

The Homecoming of Samuel Lake by Jenny Wingfield

Title:  The Homecoming of Samuel Lake

Author:  Jenny Wingfield

Genre:  Fiction

Published:  July 2012 – Random House Trade Paperbacks – 352 pages

Synopsis:  Every first Sunday in June, members of the Moses clan gather for an annual reunion at “the old home place,” a sprawling hundred-acre farm in Arkansas. And every year, Samuel Lake, a vibrant and committed young preacher, brings his beloved wife, Willadee Moses, and their three children back for the festivities. The children embrace the reunion as a welcome escape from the prying eyes of their father’s congregation; for Willadee it’s a precious opportunity to spend time with her mother and father, Calla and John. But just as the reunion is getting under way, tragedy strikes, jolting the family to their core: John’s untimely death and, soon after, the loss of Samuel’s parish, which set the stage for a summer of crisis and profound change.

In the midst of it all, Samuel and Willadee’s outspoken eleven-year-old daughter, Swan, is a bright light. Her high spirits and fearlessness have alternately seduced and bedeviled three generations of the family. But it is Blade Ballenger, a traumatized eight-year-old neighbor, who soon captures Swan’s undivided attention. Full of righteous anger, and innocent of the peril facing her and those she loves, Swan makes it her mission to keep the boy safe from his terrifying father.

With characters who spring to life as vividly as if they were members of one’s own family, and with the clear-eyed wisdom that illuminates the most tragic—and triumphant—aspects of human nature, Jenny Wingfield emerges as one of the most vital, engaging storytellers writing today. In The Homecoming of Samuel Lake she has created a memorable and lasting work of fiction.

My brief take:  Oh my goodness! What a wonderful novel! I loved being immersed in the southern setting and I loved the Lake family. Jenny Wingfield’s characters and story completely pulled me in.

My heart was captured by Swan. She had a remarkably mature empathy for the people in her life but expressed it in such an age-appropriate way that it made me smile. My heart went out to her as shocking events unfolded but I was left feeling uplifted and optimistic for what the future would hold for her.

Swan is the main character but the other members of her family (immediate and extended) are interesting and endearing. They could probably each have their own novel – and I would want to read them!

The Homecoming of Samuel Lake will be on my 2012 Favorites list. Highly recommended.

Disclosure:  I received this book from the publisher. I was not compensated for my review.

Mailbox Monday

Hosted at Mailbox Monday blog in October

♦

I bought:

Mariana by Susanna Kearsley

♦

The Financial Lives of the Poets by Jess Walter

♦

For review:

Vanity Fare by Megan Caldwell

♦

Love Anthony by Lisa Genova – audiobook

♦

Giveaway win:

A Georgette Heyer giveaway win from Sourcebooks

via Jennifer at Literate Housewife 

Envious Casca; Royal Escape; The Quiet Gentleman

What was in your mailbox?

Better Than Chocolate by Sheila Roberts

Title:  Better Than Chocolate (Icicle Falls #1)

Author:  Sheila Roberts

Genre:  Contemporary Fiction

Published:  September 2012 – Harlequin MIRA

Paperback 400 pages

Synopsis:  How sweet it isn’t!

Sweet Dreams Chocolate Company has been in the Sterling family for generations, ever since Great-Grandma Rose literally dreamed up her first fabulous recipe. But now it looks as if they’re about to lose Sweet Dreams to the bank—and that would be a disaster, not only for the family but for the town of Icicle Falls, Washington. Can Samantha, the oldest daughter and new head of the company, come up with a way to save it?

After Samantha does some brainstorming with her mother and sisters, inspiration strikes. They’ll have a chocolate festival! Time’s running out, but the Sterling women are determined and the town’s behind them, so everything’s bound to go smoothly….

Or not. Events seem to be conspiring against Samantha, and her mother’s attempts to help aren’t helping. To make matters worse, the fate of her company is in the hands of her archenemy, Blake Preston, the bank manager with the football-hero good looks. It’s enough to drive her to chocolate. But Blake’s also enough to convince her that (believe it or not) there’s something even better than chocolate.

My take:  The synopsis along with the cute cover sold me on Sheila Roberts’ latest novel. Better Than Chocolate is the story of how the Sterling women try to save the family chocolate company despite numerous roadblocks.

Roberts has a knack for incorporating timely issues in her novels. Better Than Chocolate is a cautionary tale about what can happen when women aren’t involved with the financial and legal details in their marriage and/or family business. Sisters and mother pull together to save the business in an unconventional way that could also end up helping their quaint tourist town. Roberts used just the right amounts of humor and tension to pace the story perfectly. If I’d had the time, I would have read it straight through in one sitting.

I thoroughly enjoyed Better Than Chocolate and look forward to the next book in the Life in Icicle Falls series. 

Disclosure:  I received a review e-galley from the publisher via NetGalley.

Spotlight: The Avon Social Reader

The Avon Social Reader

New App integrates with Facebook to allow advance excerpts, sharing, and DRM-free purchasing

 

New York, NY – October 16, 2012 –Around the world, women are reading in new ways, often online or on a device, and sharing what they read via social media outlets. In many cases, Facebook has become a key part of the equation. Consumers are spending hours each day browsing the latest headlines while interacting with their friends, families and acquaintances through the platform.  Now, leading romance publisher Avon Books is piloting a free Facebook app, AvonSocialReader.com, which will give readers the chance to read excerpts from Avon’s latest books, share their favorites with friends, and discover new content based on what their friends are reading.  Up to 20 percent of each book will be available to read, and once a book is browsed in the app, a person can choose to have that book show up in their News Feed or timeline for friends to see. There will also be clickable buy links to DRM-free editions of the selected Avon books from allromanceebooks.com.  Consumers can also choose to purchase DRM-enabled versions of the books at other online retailers.

A recent online consumer survey indicated that romance readers are highly active in the digital arena, purchasing e-books and sharing information via social channels.  Many of the respondents pointed to Facebook as being the center point of their social/digital sharing world.  “Many are using apps to share the news stories that they are reading online instantly with their friends,” says Liate Stehlik, Senior Vice President and Publisher of William Morrow and Avon Books.  “The recent word-of-mouth phenomenon surrounding Fifty Shades of Gray confirms that women are talking about the books they are reading in equal measure.  Thus, Avon worked to create a simple way for friends to connect on Facebook over the books they are most passionate about.”

 

She continues, “The Avon Social Reader is a fun, user-friendly way for readers to sample an interesting mix of excerpts posted to this Facebook app every month, and then virally spread the news about what they are reading via social media.”

 

Partnering with allromanceebooks.com allows Avon, for the first time, to offer a DRM-free option to their authors and readers, “a publishing capability many of them had asked us to pursue,” Stehlik says.  The files can be delivered as secure Adobe ePub -book editions.  Bestselling author Tessa Dare expresses her excitement, saying, “I know that DRM can be a frustration for honest, paying readers who just want to purchase and read books on their preferred devices.  Avon’s experiment will help me reach a new segment of the digital readership.”  New York Times bestseller Cathy Maxwell says, “I’m excited that readers will now have a new way to get the inside scoop on our books – and what a great, easy way to share with all of their friends on Facebook!”

The Avon Social Reader is intuitive and easy to use.  Fully integrated within Facebook Platform, the app enables readers to flip from status updates to a book excerpt that a friend is reading with one quick click. The more they use the app and interact, the better it gets!

The Avon Social Reader will be launched out via Facebook today, with excerpts and buy links for the following titles:

 

 

• A Blood Seduction: A Vamp City Novel  by Pamela Palmer
• A Lady by Midnight by Tessa Dare
• A Night Like This by Julia Quinn
• A Scandalous Scot by Karen Ranney
• A Warrior’s Promise by Donna Fletcher
• A Week to Be Wicked by Tessa Dare
• After the Abduction by Sabrina Jeffries
• Chosen: A Dark Breed Novel by Sable Grace
• Confessions from an Arranged Marriage by Miranda Neville
• Darkness Becomes Her by Jaime Rush
• Dark Desire by Christine Feehan
• How to Be a Proper Lady: A Falcon Club Novel by Katharine Ashe
• Lady Alexandra’s Excellent Adventure: A Summersby Tale by Sophie Barnes
• Last Vamp Standing by Kristin Miller
• Lyon’s Bride: The Chattan Curse by Cathy Maxwell
• Mating Season: A Cabin Fever Novella by Alice Gaines
• Nine Lives of an Urban Panther by Amanda Arista
• Once Burned: A Night Prince Novel by Jeaniene Frost
• Perilous Pleasures by Jenny Brown
• Sins of a Virgin by Anna Randol
• Skies of Fire: The Ether Chronicles by Zoe Archer
• Tarnished: The St. Croix Chronicles by Karina Cooper
• The Art of Duke Hunting by Sophia Nash
• The Way to a Duke’s Heart: The Truth About the Duke by Caroline Linden
• Under a Vampire Moon: An Argeneau Novel by Lynsay Sands
• Wanted: Undead or Alive by Kerrelyn Sparks
• When Dreams Come True by Cathy Maxwell
• Wicked Road to Hell: A League of Guardians Novel by Juliana Stone
• Winter Garden by Adele Ashworth

 

Facebook® is a registered trademark of Facebook Inc.

 

More information about The Avon Social Reader is available online at Avon’s Facebook page,www.facebook.com/avonromance or via the direct link, www.AvonSocialReader.com.

 

About HarperCollins Publishers HarperCollins, one of the largest English-language publishers in the world, is a subsidiary of News Corporation (NYSE: NWS, NWS.A; ASX: NWS, NWSLV). Headquartered in New York, HarperCollins has publishing groups around the world including the HarperCollins General Books Group, HarperCollins Children’s Books Group, Zondervan, HarperCollins UK, HarperCollins Canada, HarperCollins Australia/New Zealand and HarperCollins India. HarperCollins is a broad-based publisher with strengths in literary and commercial fiction, business books, children’s books, cookbooks, mystery, romance, reference, religious and spiritual books. With nearly 200 years of history HarperCollins has published some of the world’s foremost authors and has won numerous awards including the Nobel Prize, the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award, the Newbery Medal and the Caldecott. Consistently at the forefront of innovation and technological advancement, HarperCollins is the first publisher to digitize its content and create a global digital warehouse to protect the rights of its authors, meet consumer demand and generate additional business opportunities. You can visit HarperCollins Publishers on the Internet athttp://www.harpercollins.com.

Sunday Post

You may have noticed things have been quiet here lately. A few pre-scheduled posts aside, I haven’t been reading much in the past month. My 5 month old grandson Jack was in the hospital for over a month and passed away on October 6. As ill as he was, we expected him to get better and go home. I feel so fortunate that my husband and I were able to be with Jack and my daughter and son-in-law during most of the past several weeks. If you pray, please keep Jack’s parents and our entire family in your prayers.

Jack’s funeral was outdoors not too far from his home in Maine. The photo was taken by my sister before the service.