Congratulations to
April B.
winner of
- Winner selected by random.org
- Book courtesy of the publisher
Month: February 2020
Blog Tour: Eternity Springs: The McBrides of Texas – Tucker
Eternity Springs: The McBrides of Texas – Tucker by Emily March
Published: February 25, 2020 – St. Martin’s Paperbacks
E-galley courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley
Description:
Meet Gillian Thacker. Her business: Bliss Bridal Salon. Her passion: Weddings. Her own wedding: It’s complicated. Life isn’t turning out like she’d planned. The last thing she wants is for a real-life hero to ride to her rescue, but an unexpected event puts her entire future in Redemption, Texas, at risk. So what’s a broken-hearted bridal expert to do? Maybe a new set of survival skills is exactly what she needs…
Tucker McBride has been proud to call himself a U.S. Army Ranger. But now that his days of service are over, he’s decided to put his expertise to use by founding a wilderness skills training school. He sets up shop in Redemption, next to Bliss Bridal, and so begins life: Part Two. Marriage has been pretty low on his agenda, but as soon as he meets Gillian, Tucker can’t help but contemplate the ultimate challenge: Convincing the reluctant bride to take his hand and leap into the adventure of a lifetime . . . until death do them part. (publisher)
My take: This is the second book in The McBrides of Texas series. Tucker’s story is one of figuring out what the next chapter in his life will be after the army. He comes home to the small Texas town of Redemption and meets Gillian, a beautiful, smart, and (sad to say) engaged woman. When life hands Gillian a major upset she and Tucker find they might have a lot to teach each other. It will take a while for these headstrong people to realize what it takes to survive and move forward, possibly together. The McBrides of Texas – Tucker is filled with fun repartee between Gillian and Tucker. I enjoyed the laugh-out-loud scenes that played out in Las Vegas as well as on the Texas hiking trails. A fun novel all the way around. I’m looking forward to Boon’s story that was hinted at near the end.
About the author:
Emily March is the New York Times, Publishers Weekly, and USA Today bestselling author of over thirty novels, including the critically acclaimed Eternity Springs series. Publishers Weekly calls March a “master of delightful banter,” and her heartwarming, emotionally charged stories have been named to Best of the Year lists by Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and Romance Writers of America.
A graduate of Texas A&M University, Emily is an avid fan of Aggie sports and her recipe for jalapeño relish has made her a tailgating legend.
Twitter: @emilymarchbooks (https://twitter.com/emilymarchbooks?lang=en)
Facebook: @emilymarchbooks (https://www.facebook.com/emilymarchbooks/)
Instagram: @emilymarchbooks (https://www.instagram.com/emilymarchbooks/?hl=en)
Author Website: https://emilymarch.com/
Macmillan Author Page: https://us.macmillan.com/author/emilymarch
Buy links:
Macmillan: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250314932
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1250314933?tag=macmillan-20
Books-A-Million: https://www.booksamillion.com/product/9781250314932?AID=42121&PID=7992675&cjevent=0a0b322d393511ea828c00f10a24060e
Indie Bound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781250314932?aff=macmillan
Giveaway winner
Congratulations to
Lisa G.
winner of
- Winner selected by random.org
- Book provided by the publisher
Sunday Post
Book arrivals: (linked to Mailbox Monday)
- A Murderous Relation (from Berkley)
- Musical Chairs (from Atria/Emily Bestler Books and NetGalley)
Last week on Bookfan:
- Spotlight/US Giveaway: Courting Mr. Lincoln
- Spotlight/US Giveaway: The Sun Down Motel
- Spotlight: Tidelands
- Review: The Girl in White Gloves
Reading plan for this week:
The Girl In White Gloves
The Girl In White Gloves by Kerri Maher
Expected publication: February 25, 2020 – Berkley
Book courtesy of the publisher
Description:
Grace knows what people see. She’s the Cinderella story. An icon of glamor and elegance frozen in dazzling Technicolor. The picture of perfection. The girl in white gloves.
But behind the lens, beyond the panoramic views of glistening Mediterranean azure, she knows the truth. The sacrifices it takes for an unappreciated girl from Philadelphia to defy her family and become the reigning queen of the screen. The heartbreaking reasons she trades Hollywood for a crown. The loneliness of being a princess in a fairy tale kingdom that is all too real.
Hardest of all for her adoring fans and loyal subjects to comprehend, is the harsh reality that to be the most envied woman in the world does not mean she is the happiest. Starved for affection and purpose, facing a labyrinth of romantic and social expectations with more twists and turns than Monaco’s infamous winding roads, Grace must find her own way to fulfillment. But what she risks—her art, her family, her marriage—she may never get back. (publisher)
My take: Kerri Maher has a knack for taking an historical figure and telling her imagined story. She did it for Kathleen “Kick” Kennedy in The Kennedy Debutante and now gives readers her take on Grace Kelly’s story. From Grace’s strict Catholic upbringing to her years in Hollywood playing opposite some of the biggest stars of the day to becoming Princess Grace of Monaco, Maher’s story is a touching and thought-provoking portrait of a woman who seemed to have it all. Of course, appearances are one thing and reality is another. I found myself often searching online for photos of different aspects of Kelly’s life and I have a list of her movies I want to watch. I think fans of Grace Kelly and books about the days of old Hollywood will enjoy The Girl in White Gloves.
About the author:
Kerri Maher is the author of The Kennedy Debutante, which People magazine described as “a riveting reimagining of a true tale of forbidden love,” and This Is Not a Writing Manual: Notes for the Young Writer in the Real World under the name Kerri Majors. She holds an MFA from Columbia University and founded YARN, an award-winning literary journal of short-form YA writing. A writing professor for many years, she now writes full time and lives with her daughter and dog in a leafy suburb west of Boston, Massachusetts.
Praise for The Girl In White Gloves:
“With royal families once again in the gossip columns, this will be a good choice for readers curious of the inner life of a royal family. It’s an absorbing take on a complicated life.” —Library Journal
“There is much to relish about this well-researched, riveting tale.” —Booklist
“The stunning and very human story of a beloved icon…. Full of nuance and poignancy—this novel is gorgeous.”— Allison Pataki, New York Times bestselling author of The Queen’s Fortune
“[A] fascinating, deeply researched novel of the extraordinary Grace Kelly … establishes Maher as a true force in biographical fiction.”—Beatriz Williams, New York Times bestselling author of The Golden Hour
Spotlight: Tidelands – Paperback release
Tidelands by Philippa Gregory
Paperback release: February 18, 2020 – Washington Square Press
Courtesy of the publisher
Description: This New York Times bestseller from “one of the great storytellers of our time” (San Francisco Book Review) turns from the glamour of the royal courts to tell the story of an ordinary woman, Alinor, living in a dangerous time for a woman to be different.
On Midsummer’s Eve, Alinor waits in the church graveyard, hoping to encounter the ghost of her missing husband and thus confirm his death. Until she can, she is neither maiden nor wife nor widow, living in a perilous limbo. Instead she meets James, a young man on the run. She shows him the secret ways across the treacherous marshy landscape of the Tidelands, not knowing she is leading a spy and an enemy into her life.
England is in the grip of a bloody civil war that reaches into the most remote parts of the kingdom. Alinor’s suspicious neighbors are watching each other for any sign that someone might be disloyal to the new parliament, and Alinor’s ambition and determination mark her as a woman who doesn’t follow the rules. They have always whispered about the sinister power of Alinor’s beauty, but the secrets they don’t know about her and James are far more damning. This is the time of witch-mania, and if the villagers discover the truth, they could take matters into their own hands. (publisher)
About the author:
Philippa Gregory is the author of many New York Times bestselling novels, including The Other Boleyn Girl, and is a recognized authority on women’s history. Many of her works have been adapted for the screen including The Other Boleyn Girl. Her most recent novel, The Last Tudor, is now in production for a television series. She graduated from the University of Sussex and received a PhD from the University of Edinburgh, where she is a Regent. She holds honorary degrees from Teesside University and the University of Sussex. She is a fellow of the Universities of Sussex and Cardiff and was awarded the 2016 Harrogate Festival Award for Contribution to Historical Fiction. She is an honorary research fellow at Birkbeck, University of London. She founded Gardens for the Gambia, a charity to dig wells in poor rural schools in The Gambia, and has provided nearly 200 wells. She welcomes visitors to her website PhilippaGregory.com.
Praise for Tidelands:
“Superb…a searing portrait of a woman that resonates across the ages.” – People
“This is Gregory par excellence. A promising start to a family saga about ordinary people.”
–Kirkus Reviews
“A gripping novel…with her usual meticulous attention to detail, the author easily elicits the chaos and dangers of the mid-17th century…this book will leave readers eagerly awaiting the next installment in the series. Fans of Gregory’s works and of historicals in general will delight in this page-turning tale.”
–Library Journal (starred review)
“History buffs and Gregory’s fans alike will be anticipating the next installment.”
–Publishers Weekly
“a welcome topical pivot from gifted Gregory”
–Booklist
“Richly detailed and brimming with secrets (personal and political), Tidelands is a captivating portrait of a brave woman and a compelling start to a new series.”
–Shelf Awareness
“The first in a planned series, Tidelands has moved on from the Tudor and Plantagenet era of Gregory’s previous novels, and the author crafts her material with effortless ease. Her grasp of social mores is brilliant, the love story rings true and the research is, as ever, of the highest calibre.”
–Daily Mail
Spotlight/US Giveaway: The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James
THE SUN DOWN MOTEL by Simone St. James
Berkley Hardcover; February 18, 2020; $26.00
About the book:
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 in this chilling new novel from the national bestselling and award-winning author of The Broken Girls.
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, NY. But something isn’t 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 to 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.
“Deliciously creepy. A chilling blend of mystery and ghost story that will thrill fans of both.”—Riley Sager, New York Times bestselling author of Lock Every Door
US Giveaway
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Spotlight/US Giveaway: Courting Mr. Lincoln by Louis Bayard
Courting Mr. Lincoln by Louis Bayard
Paperback Published: February 2020 – Algonquin
Book provided by the publisher
Description: When Mary Todd meets Abraham Lincoln in Springfield in the winter of 1840, he is on no one’s short list to be president. A country lawyer living above a dry goods shop, he is lacking both money and manners, and his gift for oratory surprises those who meet him. Mary, a quick, self-possessed debutante with an interest in debates and elections, at first finds him an enigma. “I can only hope,” she tells his roommate, the handsome, charming Joshua Speed, “that his waters being so very still, they also run deep.”
It’s not long, though, before she sees the Lincoln that Speed knows: an amiable, profound man who, despite his awkwardness, has a gentle wit to match his genius, and who respects her keen political mind. But as her relationship with Lincoln deepens, she must confront his inseparable friendship with Speed, who has taught his roommate how to dance, dress, and navigate the polite society of Springfield.
Told in the alternating voices of Mary Todd and Joshua Speed, and inspired by historical events, Courting Mr. Lincoln creates a sympathetic and complex portrait of Mary unlike any that has come before; a moving portrayal of the deep and very real connection between the two men; and most of all, an evocation of the unformed man who would grow into one of the nation’s most beloved presidents. Louis Bayard, a master storyteller, delivers here a page-turning tale of love, longing, and forbidden possibilities. (publisher)
My take: I guess I’ve been living under a rock because until this novel I’ve never heard any mention that Abraham Lincoln was rumored to be gay. Courting Mr. Lincoln is about his early years in Illinois – where he met Mary Todd and where he lived with his good friend Joshua Speed and two other boarders above Speed’s shop. The novel is told from the perspectives of Mary and Joshua which served to give depth to the characters and added to my empathy for both. I’ve always thought Lincoln seemed like a sad man, consumed with melancholy – and that feeling continues with Bayard’s Lincoln. In contrast I was intrigued by Speed’s magnetic personality. No one could escape his pull. I’d want to sit next to him at a dinner party. For me this was an enjoyable read with sparkling dialogue that kept me turning the pages. Courting Mr. Lincoln is a different look at our 16th President and I’m glad I read it. I feel compelled to read more about Joshua Speed. I love when that happens.
Praise for Courting Mr. Lincoln
“An exquisite novel about how Lincoln’s courtship of the brilliant, complicated Mary Todd intersected with his long and very (possibly VERY) close friendship with Joshua Speed. Courting Mr. Lincoln is so subtle and human and heartbreaking, infused with sly wit. I loved every word of it, and the end is note perfect. My heart broke for both Joshua and Mary, and at the same time, they were the lenses that let me think about my favorite president in new ways.”
—Joshilyn Jackson, New York Times bestselling author of Never Have I Ever
“[W]ith a richly imagined setting and complex characters…a worthy addition to the fiction about-Lincoln bookshelf.”
—Booklist
“Bayard fictionalizes the early days of Mary Todd and Abraham Lincoln’s relationship in this delightful embellishment of American history. This charming love story delicately reveals the emotional roller coaster of two inexperienced adults traversing the unknown realm of love while trying to meet the demands and expectations of society.”
—Publishers Weekly
“A gripping historical thriller … an entertaining novel by a gifted storyteller.”
—The Washington Book Review
“[An] acute and passionate portrait…[I]n Bayard’s skilled hands, three complicated people groping toward a new phase in their lives is all the plot you need.”
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Bayard does an exceptional job of keeping readers engrossed as he weaves fact and fiction in this intriguing tale of intimacy between Lincoln and his two closest confidantes.”
—BookPage
“ What Bayard has accomplished is to take popular figures in U.S. history and not only make them more real — if that is possible — but humanize them to a level where we all can relate to them. Courting Mr. Lincoln is engaging because Bayard has such a fine way with words. The result is a triumph of a novel and an unforgettable read that is a true page turner.”
—Bookreporter.com
About the author:
Louis Bayard is a New York Times Notable Book author and has been shortlisted for both the Edgar and Dagger awards for his historical thrillers, which include The Pale Blue Eye and Mr. Timothy. His most recent novel was the critically acclaimed young-adult title Lucky Strikes. He lives in Washington, DC, and teaches at George Washington University. Visit him online at www.louisbayard.com
Photo credit: Tim Coburn
US Giveaway
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GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED
Sunday Post
Book arrivals: (linked to Mailbox Monday)
- Master Class (from Berkley and NetGalley)
- The Darkness We Hide (from MIRA and NetGalley)
- Tidelands (from Washington Square Press)
- And They Called It Camelot (from Berkley – watch for a US giveaway in March)
Last week on Bookfan:
Reading plan for this week:
The Borgia Confessions by Alyssa Palombo
The Borgia Confessions by Alyssa Palombo
Published: February 2020 – St. Martin’s Griffin
Book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley
Description: During the sweltering Roman summer of 1492, Rodrigo Borgia has risen to power as pope. Rodrigo’s eldest son Cesare, forced to follow his father into the church and newly made the Archbishop of Valencia, chafes at his ecclesiastical role and fumes with jealousy and resentment at the way that his foolish brother has been chosen for the military greatness he desired.
Maddalena Moretti comes from the countryside, where she has seen how the whims of powerful men wreak havoc on the lives of ordinary people. But now, employed as a servant in the Vatican Palace, she cannot help but be entranced by Cesare Borgia’s handsome face and manner and finds her faith and conviction crumbling in her want of him.
As war rages and shifting alliances challenge the pope’s authority, Maddalena and Cesare’s lives grow inexplicably entwined. Maddalena becomes a keeper of dangerous Borgia secrets, and must decide if she is willing to be a pawn in the power games of the man she loves. And as jealousy and betrayal threaten to tear apart the Borgia family from within, Cesare is forced to reckon with his seemingly limitless ambition. (publisher)
My take: If you like historical fiction set in 15th century Italy you probably know about the Borgias. Alyssa Palombo delves into this illustrious family that ruled the Vatican and provided fodder for Roman citizens who enjoyed gossiping about the rich and famous.
The novel is filled with the politics of the day, intrigue, and outrageous family dynamics fueled by the self-serving ambitions of the Borgia siblings and their father. The Borgias believed the ends justified the means and they did whatever it took to get what they wanted. Told from the perspectives of Maddalena, a pretty maid in the household of Lucrezia Borgia, and Cesare Borgia, the oldest son of Pope Alexander VI. Ultimately, The Borgia Confessions is a tale of ambition and betrayal and the cost to all involved.
Palombo’s informative author’s note at the end explains the fictional and actual events of the novel.
Praise for Alyssa Palombo and THE BORGIA CONFESSIONS
“[A] vivacious tale of power and love set in 1492… Excavating the personal relationships and petty disagreements that fueled Pope Alexander VI’s controversial reign, Palombo’s enticing tale will please fans of Sharon Kay Penman.”
–Publishers Weekly
“Readers looking for an immersive, light, romantic read will enjoy this book.”
–Booklist
“Under Palombo’s skillful hand, the entangled world of the Borgias comes vividly to life, exposing the dark facets of class structure and the all-consuming greed that comes with ambition–and love. I was utterly engrossed from page one. A colorful and suspenseful novel, The Borgia Confessions is packed with complex characters and political intrigue, and will leave readers hungry for more.”
–Heather Webb, internationally bestselling author of Last Christmas in Paris and Meet Me in Monaco
“Palombo has crafted a sweeping and surprisingly sympathetic portrait of Cesare Borgia, one of history’s most notorious “bad boys,” and the world surrounding him. [A] dark Renaissance parable about the intertwining of lust and power. If you’re as fascinated with all things Borgia as I am, you won’t want to miss this one!”
–Kris Waldherr, author of The Lost History of Dreams and Bad Princess
“Handsome. Intriguing. Dangerous. Seductive. [This] is everything you want in a book–it’s a romance, a page-turner, and a ride deep into the sumptuous and tumultuous time of Renaissance Italy.”
–Crystal King, author of The Chef’s Secret
“Alyssa Palombo’s deft and delicate prose makes a gorgeous contrast against the visceral and cutthroat world of the Borgias. Dark and decadent, THE BORGIA CONFESSIONS is mesmerizing from start to finish.”
–Meghan Masterson, author of The Wardrobe Mistress
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ALYSSA PALOMBO is the author of The Violinist of Venice, The Most Beautiful Woman in Florence, and The Spellbook of Katrina Van Tassel. She is a recent graduate of Canisius College with degrees in English and creative writing, respectively. A passionate music lover, she is a classically trained musician as well as a big fan of heavy metal. When not writing, she can be found reading, hanging out with her friends, traveling, or planning for next Halloween. She lives in Buffalo, New York, where she is always at work on a new novel.
Photo credit: Jennifer Hark-Hameister
THE BORGIA CONFESSIONS: A Novel
By Alyssa Palombo
Published by St. Martin’s Griffin | On-Sale: February 11, 2020
Trade Paperback | 9781250191205 | $16.99
EBook | 9781250191212 | $9.99
Giveaway winner
Congratulations to
Laurie M.
winner of
- Winner selected by random.org
- Book provided by the publisher
Adequate Yearly Progress
Adequate Yearly Progress by Roxanna Elden
Published: February 2020 – Atria Books
Review galley courtesy of Atria and NetGalley
Description:
Each new school year brings familiar challenges to Brae Hill Valley, a struggling high school in one the biggest cities in Texas. But the teachers also face plenty of personal challenges and this year, they may finally spill over into the classroom.
English teacher Lena Wright, a spoken-word poet, can never seem to truly connect with her students. Hernan D. Hernandez is confident in front of his biology classes, but tongue-tied around the woman he most wants to impress. Down the hall, math teacher Maybelline Galang focuses on the numbers as she struggles to parent her daughter, while Coach Ray hustles his troubled football team toward another winning season. Recording it all is idealistic second-year history teacher Kaytee Mahoney, whose anonymous blog gains new readers by the day as it drifts ever further from her in-class reality. And this year, a new superintendent is determined to leave his own mark on the school—even if that means shutting the whole place down. (publisher)
My take: Adequate Yearly Progress is about a high school in a large Texas city that has been underperforming in terms of results. Teachers, brand new and long time, navigate the high expectations of a new superintendent, education consultants, and teenagers. It’s the story of how the faculty deals on a daily basis with school life, personal life, and reality. Adequate Yearly Progress is filled to the brim with humor, broad stereotypes, and nuggets of truth and I think current teachers, especially high school teachers, will relate to the travails of the Brae Hill Valley HS teachers.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Roxanna Elden is the author of Adequate Yearly Progress: A Novel, which was previously self-published, and See Me After Class: Advice for Teachers by Teachers. She combines eleven years of experience as a public school teacher with a decade of speaking to audiences around the country about education issues. She has been featured on NPR as well as in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and more. You can learn more about her work at RoxannaElden.com.
ORDER LINKS:
ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS by Roxanna Elden
Atria Books | On Sale: February 11, 2020 | ISBN: 978-1-9821-3502-7| $16.99 | Trade Paperback Original
Sunday Post
Book arrivals: (linked to Mailbox Monday)
- The Girl in White Gloves (from Berkley Hardcover)
- Before He Vanished (from Harlequin Intrigue and NetGalley)
Last week on Bookfan:
Last week marked 12 years of Bookfan! I didn’t write a separate post but want to say thanks to everyone who visits. I appreciate you all.
- Review: An Everyday Hero
- Spotlight/US Giveaway: More Than Words
- Review: Witness Protection Widow
Reading plan for this week:
Giveaway winner
Congratulations to
Laini P.
winner of
- Winner selected by random.org
- Book provided by the author
Witness Protection Widow by Debra Webb
Witness Protection Widow by Debra Webb
Published: January 2020 – Harlequin Intrigue
Review galley courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley
Book description:
Can the witness protection program keep her identity secret?
After Allison James finally escapes her marriage to a monster, she becomes the star witness in the case against her deceased husband’s powerful crime family. Now it’s up to US Marshal Jaxson Stevens, Ali’s ex-boyfriend, to keep the WITSEC widow safe. But as the danger escalates and sparks fly, will Jax be able to help Ali escape her ruthless in-laws? (publisher)
My take: After years of taking care of the people in her life Allison met a man who showered her with care and attention until she became his wife. He became the opposite of the loving man she thought he was and made it his goal to control her and every aspect of her life. As happens in a crime family he was murdered and now she’s in need of protection from the people who killed him. She must be kept safely hidden until her testimony at the murder trial is over and dangerous people are behind bars.
When the agent who was protecting her ends up in the hospital after a deer vs. car accident a new agent is called in to replace him. That new agent happens to be Ali’s ex-boyfriend Jaxon, a US Marshal. They haven’t been in contact in years so Ali is shocked when Jax arrives to take over the job. As the trial grows closer the danger amps up. Will Jax be able to keep Ali safe until the trial is over? And what then?
I thought Debra Webb did a good job of maintaining suspense with good pacing, etc. I recommend Witness Protection Widow to fans of the author and the Romantic Suspense genre.
About the author:
DEBRA WEBB is the award winning, USA Today bestselling author of more than 150 novels, including reader favorites the Faces of Evil, the Colby Agency, and the Shades of Death series. With more than four million books sold in numerous languages and countries, Debra’s love of storytelling goes back to her childhood on a farm in Alabama. Visit Debra at www.DebraWebb.com
photo credit: Marti Corn Photography
Spotlight/US Giveaway: More Than Words
More Than Words by Jill Santopolo
Paperback published: February 2020 – G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Giveaway book provided by the publisher
Description: Nina has always known who she’s supposed to be. But is that who she truly is? Nina Gregory has always been a good daughter. Raised by her father, owner of New York City’s glamorous Gregory Hotels, Nina was taught that family, reputation, and legacy are what matter most. And Tim–her devoted boyfriend and best friend since childhood–feels the same. But when Nina’s father dies, he leaves behind a secret that shocks Nina to her core. Soon, Nina begins to see the men in her life–her father, her boyfriend, and unexpectedly, her boss, Rafael–in a new light, finding herself caught between the world she loves, and a passion that could upend everything. MORE THAN WORDS is a heartbreaking and romantic novel about grief, loss, love, and self-discovery, and how we choose which life we are meant to live. (publisher)
Praise for More Than Words
“A smart, sexy, delicious novel.”
—People
“Santopolo returns with the tender More Than Words.”
—Marie Claire
“Another gorgeously heart-breaking and romantic read. . . . This one is certainly going to sweep you up in feelings.”
—Bustle
“A heartfelt story about life, love, and taking chances in the aftermath of loss. . . . This is a charming and sexy crowd-pleaser.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Nina’s struggle to decide between two men, one of whom represents her old life and the other who represents what she could be if she took a chance, is propulsive and compelling. The depiction of Nina’s grief for her father is vividly raw, made more real by her eventual understanding that he was an imperfect human being. Full of drama, scandal, and romance, [More Than Words] is sure to delight fans of Santopolo’s The Light We Lost.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“The latest from best-selling author Santopolo is a bittersweet and reflective novel of grief, loss, and coming into one’s own. Fans of leisurely paced and character-driven novels will appreciate the time she spends developing Nina’s voice and ensuring that it’s heard.”
—Booklist
“More Than Words is an outstandingly poignant and honest novel. Jill Santopolo is a true master of matters of the heart. This is a tender and wise story about family, love, and self. I couldn’t put it down.”
—Taylor Jenkins Reid, author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
“The perfect combination of romantic and real. I dare you to put this book down.”
—Leslie Cohen, author of This Love Story Will Self-Destruct
US Giveaway
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An Everyday Hero by Laura Trentham
An Everyday Hero by Laura Trentham
Published: February 2020 – St. Martin’s Griffin
Book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley
Description: At thirty, Greer Hadley never expected to be forced home to Madison, Tennessee with her life and dreams of being a songwriter up in flames. To make matters worse, a series of bad decisions and even crappier luck lands her community service hours at a nonprofit organization that aids veterans and their families. Greer cannot fathom how she’s supposed to use music to help anyone deal with their trauma and loss when the one thing that brought her joy has failed her.
When Greer meets fifteen-year-old Ally Martinez, her plans to stay detached and do as little as possible get thrown away. New to town and dealing with the death of her father in action, she hides her emotions behind a mask of bitterness and sarcasm, but Greer is able to see past it and recognizes pieces of who she once was in Ally. The raw and obvious talent she possesses could take her to the top and Greer vows to make sure life’s negativities don’t derail Ally’s potential.
After Greer is assigned a veteran to help, she’s not surprised Emmett Lawson, the town’s golden boy, followed his family’s legacy. What leaves her shocked is the shell of a man who believes he doesn’t deserve anyone’s help. A breakthrough with Ally reminds Greer that no one is worth giving up on. So she shows up one day with his old guitar, and meets Emmett’s rage head on with her stubbornness. When a situation with Ally becomes dire, the two of them must become a team to save her—and along the way they might just save themselves too. (publisher)
My take: Thirty year old Greer Hadley tried to make it as a singer/songwriter in Nashville but when her dream didn’t take hold she came home to Madison, TN. To make matters worse she gets in a bar fight which gets her arrested. She ends up doing community service at a non-profit that uses songwriting and music as therapy for veterans or family members of vets.
Greer gets the most challenging clients. First is Ally, a surly teenager who has no interest in a stranger teaching her how to write songs. Second is Emmett, a newly discharged vet who is dealing with the loss of a leg and the reasons behind it. He’s also a former classmate of Greer’s. She has her hands full with these two but is determined to put her time in and then move on with her life.
An Everyday Hero is about learning to live a new normal after you think life is through with you. I liked the realistic and upbeat tone of the book. This is the second of Laura Trentham’s books I’ve read and I look forward to reading more.
About the author:
An award-winning author, Laura Trentham was born and raised in a small town in Tennessee. Although, she loved English and reading in high school, she was convinced an English degree equated to starvation. She chose the next most logical major—Chemical Engineering—and worked in a hard hat and steel toed boots for several years.
She writes sexy, small town contemporaries and smoking hot Regency historicals. The first two books of her Falcon Football series were named Top Picks by RT Book Reviews magazine. Then He Kissed Me, a Cottonbloom novel, was named as one of Amazon’s best romances of 2016. When not lost in a cozy Southern town or Regency England, she’s shuttling kids to soccer, helping with homework, and avoiding the Mt. Everest-sized pile of laundry that is almost as big as the to-be-read pile of books on her nightstand.
Giveaway winner
Congratulations to
Maureen B.
winner of
- Winner selected by random.org
- Book provided by the publisher
Sunday Post
Book arrivals: (linked to Mailbox Monday)
- Safe House (from Berkley and NetGalley)
- The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany (from Berkley and NetGalley)
- My Kind of People (from Atria and NetGalley)
Last week on Bookfan:
- Review/US Giveaway: The Vineyards of Champagne
- Review/US Giveaway: Promises of the Heart
Reading plan for this week:
Bookfan 