The Age of Desire by Jennie Fields

(From Goodreads) For fans of The Paris Wife, a sparkling glimpse into the life of Edith Wharton and the scandalous love affair that threatened her closest friendship

They say behind every great man is a woman. Behind Edith Wharton, there was Anna Bahlmann—her governess turned literary secretary, and her mothering, nurturing friend.

When at the age of forty-five, Edith falls passionately in love with a dashing younger journalist, Morton Fullerton, and is at last opened to the world of the sensual, it threatens everything certain in her life but especially her abiding friendship with Anna. As Edith’s marriage crumbles and Anna’s disapproval threatens to shatter their lifelong bond, the women must face the fragility at the heart of all friendships.

Told through the points of view of both women, The Age of Desire takes us on a vivid journey through Wharton’s early Gilded Age world: Paris with its glamorous literary salons and dark secret cafés, the Whartons’ elegant house in Lenox, Massachusetts, and Henry James’s manse in Rye, England.

Edith’s real letters and intimate diary entries are woven throughout the book. The Age of Desire brings to life one of literature’s most beloved writers, whose own story was as complex and nuanced as that of any of the heroines she created.

My Thoughts:
 Let me begin with saying, I love this cover! Well to be honest I have never read any of Edith Wharton's books. I do have one on my nook to be read down the road. I have to add I really enjoy reading books where real life people are fictionalized. I kinda feel like I get to know them a bit. Maybe it's just me being silly! If you do read this, do make sure to head over to the author, Jennie Fields website where she has the pictures of Edith, the men in her life, her book, and her home. This is one of my favorite eras to read about. I once toured the Vanderbilt mansion years ago and I have to say I had no idea people lived so utterly rich! I mean they had a gold ceiling! Anyway let me tell you about the book!

Edith Wharton is married to Teddy, a man she never really seemed to be in love with--but happened to be very much in love with her. Even at an early age Edith seemed to be very much a woman who wanted to carve out her own space, be her own woman even if she didn't realize that is what she wanted. She seemed to push off men who seemed to challenge her a bit. The story begins when Edith is in her 40s. A time of her life where she knows who she is, she has had her own success and has suddenly realized she wants a more passionate life. A passion Teddy has not given her.

At a party in Paris, Edith meets Morton Fullerton, a journalist. There is an immediate spark for Edith and she begins to realize he also feels it. They begin a scandalous affair, rousing a passion in Edith she never knew existed. While at the same time, her dear friend (once her governess and now her secretary), Anna is very much against this relationship. All this is going on while her husband as taken ill from a deep Depression. Edith presses forward with her obsession while casting off the ones who love her most.

The story is mostly Edith, but rotate a bit with Anna's voice. There are also letters and diary entries (which I love to read).

I found the story sort of hard to get into for awhile. There was this whole back and forth with very little forward movement. It didn't help that I really didn't care much for Edith. She came across so self centered. I really liked Anna and Teddy. For a long time I had harbored some secret hopes (I won't tell you what they were or if I was right!). Once the story picked up a bit, I found myself sad for Edith. She clearly had mother issues and Morton--ugh I really didn't like him the more I got to know him. In many ways the story made me sad.

I will say Fields is a very talented writer! I could really visualize Edith's world, the people. I felt like I could see the richness of the time. I believe she wrote a very close to truth book about Edith and I think it would be interesting to read some non-fiction pieces to learn even more. I enjoyed the story more as it moved forward, but I think not really liking Edith makes it harder for me to say I enjoyed the book, if that makes any sense. I will say if you enjoy turn of the century stories this is one you should pick up, I would love to hear what you think of it.

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“One doesn’t have to be an Edith Wharton fan to luxuriate in the Wharton-esque plotting and prose Fields so elegantly conjures.” —Kirkus

“Delicate and imaginative . . . Fields’s love and respect for all her characters and her care in telling their stories shines through.” —Publishers Weekly

Beautiful … an imaginative tour-de-force with the best-written naughty bits I have ever read.” —UK Daily Mail

Inspired by Wharton’s letters, The Age of Desire is by turns sensuous . . . and sweetly melancholy. It’s also a moving examination of a friendship between two women. —Bookpage

“A fascinating insight into the life of my favorite novelist. Fields brings a secret side of Wharton to life, and shows us a woman whose elegant façade concealed a turbulent sensuality.” —Daisy Goodwin, author of The American Heiress

VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR SCHEDULE

Monday, July 29
Feature & Giveaway at Passages to the Past

Wednesday, July 31
Review at Peeking Between the Pages
Giveaway at vvb32 reads

Monday, August 5
Review at Carole’s Ramblings & Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell

Tuesday, August 6
Review at A Bookish Affair
Interview at From the TBR Pile

Wednesday, August 7
Review at West Metro Mommy
Guest Post & Giveaway at A Bookish Affair

Thursday, August 8
Review at Book-alicious Mama

Friday, August 9
Review at vvb32 reads
Guest Post at Historical Tapestry

Monday, August 12
Review at Carpe Librum

Wednesday, August 14
Review at My Reader’s Block
Review & Interview at Oh, for the Hook of a Book!

Friday, August 16
Review at A Chick Who Reads

Monday, August 19
Review at Flashlight Commentary

Tuesday, August 20
Review at Plum Creek Peddler
Interview & Giveaway at Flashlight Commentary

Wednesday, August 21
Review at Book Addict Katie
Review & Interview at A Bookish Libraria

Thursday, August 22
Review at Amused by Books
Review at Just One More Chapter

Friday, August 23
Review at So Many Precious Books, So Little Time

Monday, August 26
Review at So Many Books, So Little Time
Review at Books, Belles and Beaux

Tuesday, August 27
Guest Post at Books, Belles and Beaux

Wednesday, August 28
Review at The Lit Bitch
Review at From Left to Write
Review at WTF Are You Reading?

Thursday, August 29
Review at CelticLady’s Reviews
Review & Giveaway at The True Book Addict

Friday, August 30
Review at A Novel Review
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FOREVER INTERRUPTED by Taylor Jenkins Reid

“Have you ever heard of supernovas? They shine brighter than anything else in the sky and then fade out really quickly, a short burst of extraordinary energy. I like to think you and Ben were like that . . . in that short time, you had more passion than some people have in a lifetime.”

Elsie Porter is an average twentysomething and yet what happens to her is anything but ordinary. On a rainy New Year’s Day, she heads out to pick up a pizza for one. She isn’t expecting to see anyone else in the shop, much less the adorable and charming Ben Ross. Their chemistry is instant and electric. Ben cannot even wait twenty-four hours before asking to see her again. Within weeks, the two are head over heels in love. By May, they’ve eloped.

Only nine days later, Ben is out riding his bike when he is hit by a truck and killed on impact. Elsie hears the sirens outside her apartment, but by the time she gets downstairs, he has already been whisked off to the emergency room. At the hospital, she must face Susan, the mother-in-law she has never met—and who doesn’t even know Elsie exists.

Interweaving Elsie and Ben’s charmed romance with Elsie and Susan’s healing process, Forever, Interrupted will remind you that there’s more than one way to find a happy ending. (Taken from Back Cover).

This book showed up on my doorstop. I hadn't requested it, hadn't heard of it. I saw blurbs by Amy Hatvany, author of Heart Like Mine and Sarah Pekkanen, author of The Best of Us. Well I love their books, so I thought I'd give the book a go. Forever Interrupted by Taylor Jenkins Reid was the biggest surprises in a long time! I absolutely loved this book!

The main character is Elsie, and you can't help but like her, feel for her. The chapters are current day moving forward and walk you back in time with her relationship to Ben. I found myself laughing during one chapter and crying the next chapter...almost the entire book! It's a love story, tender and really beautiful and on the other hand a story of healing. It reads really fast! I just don't know what else to say about the book, but go buy it! Highly recommending!

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The Lemon Orchard by Luanne Rice

Julia's life has been turned upside down. Her sixteen year old daughter, Jenny, had a car accident killing herself and her father. When Julia's aunt and uncle ask her to come to Malibu and house sit for them while they travel she accepts hoping for peace and quiet. The lemon orchard is just as she remembers with the addition of the manager, Roberto.  The connection these two share is amazing and quite a story.

 This is a book that when you finish it you stop and have to sit back and think about it. The beginning, middle, and ending were wonderful. I loved getting to know Julia and Roberto and their stories. Learning their past and their present made them very real to me. It is also kept me guessing as to what their future would be. The love these two shared was sweet and heart warming. They were true partners not just friends or lovers.

 I had tears, smiles, and love all come from the story Luanne Rice told. The Lemon Orchard is an amazing story that I will happily recommend over and over again.

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Cover Reveal! THE INVENTION OF WINGS by Sue Monk Kidd

I am super excited to share the cover of Sue Monk Kidd's newest book THE INVENTION OF WINGS due to be released January 7, 2014!!!  THE INVENTION OF WINGS tells the entwined stories of Hetty “Handful” Grimke, an urban slave in early 19th century Charleston, who yearns for life beyond the suffocating walls of the wealthy Grimke household and the Grimke's daughter, Sarah, a real-life historical figure, who grows up to become a leading abolitionist and women's rights pioneer. Kidd goes beyond the record to flesh out the rich interior lives of all of her characters, both real and invented. Doesn't this sound amazing!!!

Sue Monk Kidd's first novel, The Secret Life of Bees spent more than 175 weeks on the New York Times trade paperback bestseller list, has sold more than six million copies in the United States, and has been translated into thirty-six languages and was turned into an award-winning major motion picture. Her second novel, The Mermaid Chair, was a number one New York Times bestseller.

If you are eagerly anticipating this book, like me, make sure to follow

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You Knew Me When by Emily Liebert

When Katherine Hills mother gets killed her father moves her to Manchester,Vermont two houses away from a girl, Laney, who is the same age.   The two girls become instant best friends ~forever.   Well, maybe not forever.

With the encouragement of Luella Hancock, the lady who lives in the mansion between Laney and Katherine, a new life in New York comes to reality for Katherine.   She leaves her friends and family behind and doesn't come back.   When Luella passes it she returns to Vermont to take care of the Luella's last will.   Being force to deal with Laney brings hope that their friendship can be salvaged, maybe.

The story alternates between the girls as teenagers and the girls as adults.  In the past you learn of the escapades and fun and also of what broke them up.     It is easy to see how Luella became a mother figure to Katherine and led her to a life that Luella would have liked to have herself.   To Laney Luella was more of a fun neighbor since she had her own mother still with her.   Luella was the rope that held them all together.

My favorite storyline was that of Grant, Laneys brother, and Katherine.    The story of first loves and first relationships win me over almost every time and this was no exception.     The tenderness and caring between these two was amazing.   I loved how Laney accepted their relationship but it still annoyed her with all the googly eyes and PDA she has to witness.

Emily Liebert wrote a light, fun, and easy read.  It was exactly what I was hoping for and I am thrilled to have received to chance to read You Knew Me When.    I will recommend this to my chic-lit loving friends.
to have received to chance to read You Knew Me When.    I will recommend this to my chic-lit loving friends.

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The books we review on this site (A NOVEL REVIEW) are sent to us by publishers, authors or downloaded from Netgalley. This is a very common practice.  We never take payments for these reviews and all the reviews on this site are our own thoughts and feelings and are not influenced.

The 5 W's of Brenda Janowitz

Brenda is the author of JACK WITH A TWIST and SCOT ON THE ROCKS.  Her third novel, RECIPE FOR A HAPPY LIFE, was recently published by St. Martin’s.  Her work has also also appeared in the New York Post and Publisher’s Weekly. You can find Brenda on Facebook or on Twitter at @BrendaJanowitz.

WHO? Who are you besides a writer?

I’m a mom, a wife, a former lawyer, and lover of books and movies.  I’m a little bit of a lot of things, just like everyone.

I wrote my first novel when I was still practicing law in Manhattan.  I’d write at night, on weekends, on the subway…  anywhere and anytime I had a free second.  A few weeks before my first novel debuted, I met the man who would become my husband.  His name is Douglas, which is really funny if you’ve read SCOT ON THE ROCKS—the cad in that story is named Douglas!  (See, so all Douglases aren’t necessarily bad boys.)

It’s been 5 years from the time my second novel was published until my third, RECIPE FOR A HAPPY LIFE.  In that time, I got married, moved out to the burbs, bought a house, bought a car, and had two children.  So you could say I’ve been busy.

Now, writing time is when the kiddies are in camp or napping.  How times have changed!

WHAT? What do you enjoy doing other than writing in your spare time?

This summer, I’m particularly obsessed with going to the beach and taking care of my hydrangea bush (I am failing in this regard—the sun has completely burned it up!).  I love to cook, hang out with friends, and laugh a lot.  People who know me know that I laugh all the time.  I’m very big on finding happiness in little places, whenever you can.

WHEN? When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I’ve wanted to be a writer for as long as I can remember.  That was always something I did—telling stories and creating narratives.

When I was younger, I’d make up plays and have my friends act them out.  Now that I’m older, I don’t make my friends act my stories out.  I do, however, have them read the first drafts of all my books!

WHERE? Where do you write?

Mostly, I write in my office.  My husband got me a humongous computer and it sits on my desk, surrounded by books.  But I always carry a pad with me, and I’m a big fan of the voice memo app on my iPhone.  I’ve dictated whole chapters of books while driving my kiddies to school!

WHY? Why do you write?

It’s not a question of ‘why’ for me.  Writing for me isn’t something I like to do—it’s something I need to do.  It’s who I am.

About a year ago, I was talking about some personal problems I was having to an old friend of mine (you know that sort of friend you’ve known since you were 18 years old?) and she listened and then asked: have you been writing?  And I had to admit it to myself and to her—I had not.  I told her so, and she looked back at me, no judgments, and simply nodded her head.

Writers need to write. 

Thank-you so much for joining us here at A Novel Review, Brenda! I had to laugh because I used to write plays and have the neighborhood kids put on performances in our backyard growing up (sheets and a swing-set made for a good stage ;).

Recipe for a Happy Life by Brenda Janowitz

Book description:

There’s more than one recipe for a happy life.

Hannah Goodman doesn't grow up like most kids on the Upper East side. Her mother, Gray, is an award-winning photojournalist with little time for the banalities of child-rearing, and when she's not jetting off to follow the latest scoop, she's camped out at the Hotel Chelsea. The closest thing Hannah's got to a traditional matriarch is her grandmother—a glamorous widow six times over with a sprawling Hampton’s estate. But Gray is determined that her daughter resist the siren song of the trust fund set, and make her own way in the world. So Hannah does just that—becoming a successful lawyer in New York City, and dating a handsome musician. Hannah has it all, or so it seems, until one hot June day the carefully constructed pieces of her life break apart. When she throws it all in and seeks solace at her grandmother's estate, she discovers that where happiness is concerned, you don’t have to stick to the recipe.

From the author of Jack with a Twist and Scot on the Rocks comes a charming, clever, and romantic novel about three generations of women with a culture all their own.

“Brenda Janowitz has found the recipe for a great summer read: a dash of Hampton's glamour, a sprinkle of romance, and a cup of a feisty heroine you won't soon forget. RECIPE FOR A HAPPY LIFE will keep you charmed from beginning to end.”

-Julie Buxbaum, author of After You

Excerpt of the book: http://us.macmillan.com/recipeforahappylife/BrendaJanowitz#book-excerpts

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Whole Latte Life by Joanne DeMaio

Sarah Beth and Rachel go to New York to celebrate turning 40.   Things do not quite go as planned, leaving Rachel trying to enjoy her weekend, while Sarah Beth goes about trying to figure out her life. 

Rachel meets New York police officer Michael while in New York.  When it is time to go home they decide to “try” their relationship long distance.   Rachel has the death of her husband still to deal with and is worried about moving on.   Michael has a demon that he is dealing with.  Can these two beat their own hold ups about their lives and make each other happy?

Sarah Beth uses the trip to New York to start the journey of a life.  Some may call it a  mid-life crisis, but really she just wants to find herself.  Marriage and motherhood have taken over her life and she feels like all she was is gone.   The death of her mother has also been a huge issue for her to overcome.  The grief she feels holds her back from enjoying her family and life.

Which woman did I like better?  That is such a toss up.  

I felt sad for Sarah Beth.  To feel she lost her life and is floundering trying to get it back made me very sad for her.  I wanted to her reconnect with her husband and her kids.  I was very concerned that she was throwing her family away and would realize that the life she had was enough for her.   Tom, her husband, bothered me.  He was concerned, but he didn’t seem very supportive.  Although I did understand that he had a lot thrown at him while Sarah Beth rediscovered herself, probably more than most husbands deal with.   Between working full time and taking care of the kids there was not much time for him to take care of Sarah Beth.  By the end of the novel I could feel how strong Sarah Beth had become.   She came to terms with her mother’s death, while still missing her.  She became a mother again. She became a wife again.  Most importantly she found herself and her calling and succeeded in it. 

Rachel was not someone I connected with.  I understood the rift between Sarah Beth and herself .  But I struggled with her not forcing them to deal with it.   For how long and strong their friendship was suppose to be,  it seemed to me that she gave up on it to easily.    Now, her relationship with Michael was probably my favorite storyline.  To see him slowly give himself to her and for her to be open to being with him was so much fun for me.   I looked forward to the chapters of their stories.  The fact that they both had baggage, and who at 40 won’t, only added to the story.  

Joanne DeMaio did it again.  This is the second book of hers that I have read and she had me from the beginning.  I could not read fast enough or long enough to satisfy my need to know.  This is a book my Mom’s Book Club chose to read and I cannot wait to discuss it.  I will happily recommend this to all my friends.

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The books we review on this site (A NOVEL REVIEW) are sent to us by publishers, authors or downloaded from Netgalley. This is a very common practice.  We never take payments for these reviews and all the reviews on this site are our own thoughts and feelings and are not influenced. 

The Perfume Collector by Kathleen Tessaro

The Perfume Collector is the SHE READS August Book Club book of the month.  She Reads is an online book club.  Each month they choose a novel and feature it through a series of different blogs.  

Grace Monroe has received a letter from a lawyer in France asking her to please come to Paris at her earliest convenience as she has been names a heir in a will.   The will is from a woman that she has never met, Eva d’Orsey.  As Grace heads to Paris to solve the mystery of who this woman was, she discovers a world of perfume and a great story, the story of her history. 

The Perfume Collector is a book I may have picked up, looked at, and put back down due to its large number of pages and the setting in Paris.   If this is what had happen I would have missed reading a great historical novel with a lot of passion and a great story of life.  This is a story of a young woman who is just living life and getting by, although she has a very upper crust life, and how her life changes and she comes into her own and starts truly being alive and enjoying life. 

Although I could tell from almost the very beginning what the relationship between Eva and Grace was I could not put this down.  I loved watching Grace put the clues together and learn the truth about her life.   It was also entertaining to see her come into herself.  To have an independence that she has never had and make decisions for herself, even if they were not what her husband wanted.  Kathleen Tessaro did an amazing job making Grace a real person.

The novel had two stories.  The story of Eva in the 1920’s until her death and the story of Grace in 1954.  The way the two story lines were wove together, slowly and with much detail, made this an amazing tale.  Both storylines were fascinating, although the stories were very different.  This is a slower read, but never dragging.   I was always entertained and engaged in the book. 

This beautiful historical novel is a book any historical reader will love.   I know that I adored it from the beginning to the end. 

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The books we review on this site (A NOVEL REVIEW) are sent to us by publishers, authors or downloaded from Netgalley. This is a very common practice.  We never take payments for these reviews and all the reviews on this site are our own thoughts and feelings and are not influenced.

Is This Tomorrow by Caroline Leavitt

When I think of the 1950s I have an ideal picture of what life looked like, and impart it did. IS THIS TOMORROW by Caroline Leavitt takes place then but the ideal picture is not what life looked like for Ava and her son, Lewis. Ava was an attractive divorced woman, a Jewish woman, who worked and was raising her twelve year old son alone. Ava trying to give her son the best she could, moved him into a peaceful suburb where doors were left unlocked and the children ran free. The mother and son were outcasts, but were managing. Lewis made good friends with the widows children, Rose and Jimmy. But life became even more complicated when Jimmy goes missing. 

After becoming adults, Rose and Lewis reconnect trying to figure out what really did happen to Jimmy that night. What they find might just tear them apart.

IS THIS TOMORROW for me was what my kids were asking, because I couldn't put this novel down! The story is so full of questions and suspense and once you get an answer there are more questions and then even more questions! 

I was pulled into the lives, the stories, the heartache of all the different characters. The portrayal of mother/son dynamic was fabulously written. I haven't felt so immersed in a story in some time. The change of viewpoint of a number of different characters really just grabbed a hold of me. You didn't feel the jerking of moving from one character to another, Leavitt's writing is flawless. 

I really had no idea what to expect as far as how the story would end, but I sat there stunned. The tragedy was so...oh wait you don't want me to spoil it for you! 

I was left not wanting this story to end and I am highly recommending! 

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The Longest Holiday by Paige Toon

Laura lost her first love to a car crash.   Marries her second love.  Seven months after they say I do she finds out that he made a horrible mistake before their vows.   Needing to take a break she heads to Florida's Key West for a two week vacation with her best friend, Marty.This vacation brings along fun, gorgeous tanned men, and cocktails.

Towards the end of the vacation she has some extremely tough decisions to make.

The Longest Holiday is a fun summer read.     Although the reason Laura left her husband to go on vacation is a very good reason, I am not a fan of running away from your problems.    I felt she was weak for not standing for herself and fighting for her marriage.   I do understand her need for space but not an ocean between them.

The fun she has in Florida was very entertaining.   Diving is one thing I will do someday and I love that she overcame her fear and did that.    When she makes a decisions she sticks to it and no one will change her mind, she proves it again and again.

Paige Toon wrote a fun and entertaining novel.   I was up late and could not stop reading.    I will highly recommend it and certainly add Paige Toon to my must read authors.

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The books we review on this site (A NOVEL REVIEW) are sent to us by publishers, authors or downloaded from Netgalley. This is a very common practice.  We never take payments for these reviews and all the reviews on this site are our own thoughts and feelings and are not influenced.