The Lido by Libby Page

The Lido by Libby Page

Expected pub. date: July 10, 2018 – Simon & Schuster

Review galley courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley

Description:  Rosemary Peterson has lived in Brixton, London, all her life but everything is changing.

The library where she used to work has closed. The family grocery store has become a trendy bar. And now the lido, an outdoor pool where she’s swum daily since its opening, is threatened with closure by a local housing developer. It was at the lido that Rosemary escaped the devastation of World War II; here she fell in love with her husband, George; here she found community during her marriage and since George’s death.

Twentysomething Kate Matthews has moved to Brixton and feels desperately alone. A once promising writer, she now covers forgettable stories for her local paper. That is, until she’s assigned to write about the lido’s closing. Soon Kate’s portrait of the pool focuses on a singular woman: Rosemary. And as Rosemary slowly opens up to Kate, both women are nourished and transformed in ways they never thought possible.

In the tradition of Fredrik Backman’s A Man Called Ove, The Lido is a charming, feel-good novel that captures the heart and spirit of a community across generations—an irresistible tale of love, loss, aging, and friendship. (publisher)

My take:  When the neighborhood swimming pool known as the lido is set to be sold many people are upset. Rosemary, in her eighties, has a special attachment to the place. It has played a big part in her life. The local newspaper sends a young reporter, Kate, to cover the rumored sale of the lido. Kate, who deals with anxiety and panic attacks, wants to interview Rosemary for her article but it won’t be as easy as that. Rosemary agrees but only if Kate will swim at the lido with her. Just about the last thing Kate wants to do is buy a swim suit and then go swimming. But she’ll do it for the story. What follows is the story of a community and a place that is important to them all. A story of an unexpected friendship for Rosemary and Kate – at opposite ends of life but kindred spirits all the same. It’s a story about never losing hope. If you’re looking for a warm hug of a book about life this could be one for you. I’m so happy I had a chance to read it and I was really glad to have a box of Kleenex nearby as I finished reading.

Note: Check out pics of the real Brockwell lido here.

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Giveaway winner!

Congratulations to

Carol M.

winner of

• Winner selected by random.org
• Book provided by the publisher

Spotlight/US Giveaway: Angels Burning by Tawni O’Dell

About:

From Tawni O’Dell, author of the New York Times bestselling novel and Oprah Book Club selection Back Roads, comes ANGELS BURNING (Gallery Books; January 5, 2016; Trade Paperback Original; $16.00), a fast-paced literary thriller about a small town police chief who is forced to dig into her own shadowy past as she investigates the murder of a teenage girl.

When a girl’s body is found in a  fiery sinkhole in an abandoned coal town, Chief Dove Carnahan—a true trailblazer who would do anything to protect the rural countryside where she has lived all fifty of her years—is faced with solving the worst crime of her career. Dove identifies the girl as a daughter of the Truly family, a notorious dynasty of redneck irascibility and petty criminals.  But when the man convicted of killing Dove’s mother years earlier is released from prison—still proclaiming his innocence—his startling accusation will force Dove to face the parallels between her own family’s trauma and that of the Trulys.

With countless accolades to her credit, Tawni O’Dell writes with the “fearless insights” (New York Times Book Review) she brought to the page in Back Roads and One of Us.  In this masterfully told psychological thriller, the past and present collide to reveal the extent some will go to escape their fate, and in turn, the crimes committed to push them back to where they began.

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Praise for Angels Burning:

“O’Dell does a stellar job of depicting the despair of those who live in a blighted rural community, while providing a complex study of the human soul and the fragile line that’s crossed when someone chooses to end another person’s life.” –Publishers Weekly, starred review

 

“Compelling, fast-paced…O’Dell’s latest is character-driven fiction at its best.” –Library Journal, starred review

 

“A darkly compelling look into how the past colors the present, this psychological thriller will linger with readers.” –RT Book Reviews, four stars

 

“O’Dell returns with a captivating mystery… Filled with surprising twists and turns, this whodunit in a sullen town is a page-turner.” –Kirkus

 

“A dramatic, climactic end. The twists in this plot will keep the reader guessing as author O’Dell, yet again, shows why she is among the bestsellers. Her magic is powerful.”  –Suspense Magazine

 

“A no-holds-barred, page-turning, perfectly crafted thriller that kept me reading long into the night.” –Heather Gudenkauf, author of The Weight of Silence 

 

“A feast of a story, O’Dell handles family, friendships and toxic love with a ferocity reminiscent of Pat Conroy.” –Stella Cameron, New York Times bestselling author

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About the author:

Tawni O’Dell is the New York Times bestselling author of six novels, including Back Roads, which was an Oprah’s Book Club pick and a Book-of-the-Month Club Main Selection. She is also a contributor to several anthologies, including Becoming Myself: Reflections on Growing Up Female. Her works have been published in more than forty countries. (publisher)

 

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Spotlight on: The Lie And The Lady by Kate Noble plus a giveaway of Book #1

Truth be told, The Lie and the Lady “is nothing less than brilliant” (Starred Booklist)

 

• THE LIE AND THE LADY
• Kate Noble
• 2^nd in the Winner Takes All series
• Pocket Books
• December 29, 2015
• ISBN: 9781476749396
• $7.99

“With her usual witty writing and exquisite flair for characterization, Noble offers readers the second, splendid book in her Winner Takes All series. The effortless manner in which she wrote The Lie and the Lady as a separate love story while at the same time gracefully connecting it to The Game and the Governess (2014) and cleverly hinting at what is to come in the series is nothing less than brilliant.”

—Booklist Starred Review

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John Turner thought only of winning a bet when he swapped identities with his friend the Earl of Ashby. He didn’t wager on winning the fiery Countess of Churzy’s heart with his lies, or on falling for her in return. Publicly humiliated when she learned of the betrayal, the impoverished countess fled, and John thought Leticia was lost to him forever…until fate brings her practically to his doorstep. Can he regain her trust—and her heart—this time as himself?

Determined to make a new life for herself, Letty knows she must avoid Turner—and his maddening kisses—in order to survive. But some things are too intoxicating to be denied. If she turns her back on her dashing rogue—again—will she lose her chance at love forever?

The Game and the Governess was dubbed a “winning novel, complete with rich characters and a multi-dimensional plotline” by Publishers Weekly (starred review), a “delicious treat” by Bookpage, “Immensely entertaining and eminently satisfying” by Booklist (starred review), and RT Reviews (four star HOT) promised “charming characters will sweep readers away into the story”.  Second in the captivating Winner Takes All series, THE LIE AND THE LADY is “nothing less than brilliant” (Booklist starred review) and will reward readers as the perfect literary escape.

 

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Kate Noble is the national bestselling author of The Game and the Governess and the critically acclaimed, RITA Award-nominated Blue Raven series. Under the name Kate Rorick, she writes for television, as well as novels based on the Emmy Award-winning web series The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, for which she is also a writer and producer. She lives in Los Angeles. Visit katenoble.com, @NobleRorick, facebook.com/katenoblewriter.

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Buy Buttons for THE LIE AND THE LADY:

http://books.simonandschuster.com/The-Lie-and-the-Lady/Kate-Noble/Winner-Takes-All/9781476749396

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US Giveaway

One copy of Book #1 in the series

Please click here and fill out the form

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A Window Opens by Elisabeth Egan

• Title:  A Window Opens
• Author:  Elisabeth Egan
• Genre:  Women’s Fiction
• Pages:  384
• Published:  August 2015 – Simon & Schuster
• Source:  Publisher

Description:  From the beloved books editor at Glamour magazine comes a heartfelt and painfully funny debut about what happens when a wife and mother of three leaps at the chance to fulfill her professional destiny—only to learn every opportunity comes at a price.

In A Window Opens, Elisabeth Egan brings us Alice Pearse, a compulsively honest, longing-to-have-it-all, sandwich generation heroine for our social-media-obsessed, lean in (or opt out) age. Like her fictional forebears Kate Reddy and Bridget Jones, Alice plays many roles (which she never refers to as “wearing many hats” and wishes you wouldn’t, either). She is a mostly-happily married mother of three, an attentive daughter, an ambivalent dog-owner, a part-time editor, a loyal neighbor, and a Zen commuter. She is not: a cook, a craftswoman, a decorator, an active PTA member, a natural caretaker, or the breadwinner. But when her husband makes a radical career change, Alice is ready to lean in—and she knows exactly how lucky she is to land a job at Scroll, a hip young start-up which promises to be the future of reading, with its chain of chic literary lounges and dedication to beloved classics. The Holy Grail of working mothers—an intellectually satisfying job and a happy personal life—seems suddenly within reach.

Despite the disapproval of her best friend, who owns the local bookstore, Alice is proud of her new “balancing act” (which is more like a three-ring circus) until her dad gets sick, her marriage flounders, her babysitter gets fed up, her kids start to grow up, and her work takes an unexpected turn. Fans of I Don’t Know How She Does It, Where’d You Go Bernadette, and The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry will cheer as Alice realizes the question is not whether it’s possible to have it all, but what does she—Alice Pearse—really want?  (publisher)

My take: When Alice Pearce’s husband quits his job after learning he won’t make partner Alice starts searching for a full-time job that will help make ends meet until Nicholas can get his private law practice up and running. She lands a job with a company that, while the income is wonderful, may require the sale of her soul.

Life as Alice knew it quickly changes. On top of the new job learning curve, Alice’s father is quite ill, Nicholas seems to be drinking more than she’s ever known him to, and their three kids need her more than ever before. Alice has to bring home a paycheck so she keeps trying to hold things together.

For as anxious as all that may make a reader feel I found Egan’s writing engaging to the point where I didn’t want to stop reading. My kids are raised and yet I find myself in the “sandwich generation” in that I help out by watching my grandchildren and have elderly parents who are dealing with health issues.

I enjoyed all the characters in the novel but most of all Alice. I could relate to her on a few levels. My heart went out to her because I understood her unenviable position. I loved that, from time to time, Alice remembered quotations from people such as Frost and Churchill. And I loved Alice’s relationship with her dad. Their scenes and exchanges made me tear up a few times.

A Window Opens is a wonderful debut and I look forward to Elisabeth Egan’s next book.

Eight Hundred Grapes by Laura Dave

• Title:  Eight Hundred Grapes
• Author:  Laura Dave
• Genre:  Contemporary Fiction
• Published:  April 2015 – Simon & Schuster
• Source:  Publisher – Vine program

Synopsis:  Growing up on her family’s Sonoma vineyard, Georgia Ford learned some important secrets. The secret number of grapes it takes to make a bottle of wine: eight hundred. The secret ingredient in her mother’s lasagna: chocolate. The secret behind ending a fight: hold hands.

But just a week before her wedding, thirty-year-old Georgia discovers her beloved fiancé has been keeping a secret so explosive, it will change their lives forever.

Georgia does what she’s always done: she returns to the family vineyard, expecting the comfort of her long-married parents, and her brothers, and everything familiar. But it turns out her fiancé is not the only one who’s been keeping secrets….  (publisher) 

My take:  This is the story of Georgia Ford, a young woman who can fix everyone else’s problems but her own it would seem. Georgia has a big problem – whether to marry her fiancé in a few days as planned or call the whole thing off. She’ll have to figure it out herself because none of her family is willing to tell her what to do. That may be because they all have big problems of their own.

Eight Hundred Grapes is about family dynamics and issues. I found all of the characters engaging. I loved how Laura Dave’s story developed and concluded and I turned the last page smiling and wishing for more.

Highly recommended to fans of the author and contemporary fiction.

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Nest by Jorey Hurley

• Title:  Nest
• Author:  Jorey Hurley
• Genre:  Children; Picture Book
• Published:  February 2014 – Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books
• Source:  Publisher; Vine

My take:  What a delightful book! Follow a year (or more) in the life of the Robin family. Hurley uses few words to guide the reader but not many are needed. The gentle illustrations in pleasing colors tell the story.

Any young child and older reader will enjoy this book. I think it would be a perfect choice when looking for a book gift – I would give it as a “new baby” gift or to a new grandparent. Nest would be a great addition to any home library.

Three Good Things by Wendy Francis

• Title:  Three Good Things
• Author:  Wendy Francis
• Genre:  Contemporary Fiction
• Published:  January 2013 – Simon & Schuster – 256 pages
• Source:  Review copy from the publisher via Edelweiss

Synopsis (publisher): Ellen McClarety, a recent divorcée, has opened a new bake shop in her small Midwestern town, hoping to turn her life around by dedicating herself to the traditional Danish pastry called kringle. She is no longer saddled by her ne’er-do-well husband, but the past still haunts her—sometimes by showing up on her doorstep. Her younger sister, Lanie, is a successful divorce attorney with a baby at home. But Lanie is beginning to feel that her perfect life is not as perfect as it seems. Both women long for the guidance of their mother, who died years ago but left them with lasting memories of her love and a wonderful piece of advice: “At the end of every day, you can always think of three good things that happened.”

Ellen and Lanie are as close as two sisters can be, until one begins keeping a secret that could forever change both their lives. Wearing her big Midwestern heart proudly on her sleeve, Wendy Francis skillfully illuminates the emotional lives of two women with humor and compassion, weaving a story destined to be shared with a friend, a mother, or a sister.

My take:  I found Three Good Things to be a quiet novel about finding out and remembering what’s most important in life.

I think many readers will be able to relate to Ellen and Lanie and their circumstances but, that said, I wish each sister would have been even more fleshed out. At 256 pages it seemed there was room to do so.

There’s a little drama toward the end of the book that wrapped up a bit too conveniently but I still enjoyed the book. I liked the Midwest setting and I’m now craving some of Ellen’s kringle. There’s even a recipe at the end of the novel.