Chance to Win a KitchenAid Mixer and a copy of The Glass Kitchen by Linda Francis Lee

I just finished The Glass Kitchen by Linda Francis Lee and let me tell you I LOVED it! Just a perfect summer read with some really great characters, but this isn't my review of the book (not yet anyway!). I heard that St. Martin's Press has a special giveaway going on to celebrate The Glass Kitchen. They are not only giveaway 10 copies of the book (and trust me you will love this book), but they are also have a giveaway for a KitchenAid Professional Mixer (I so want one!).

Enter For A Chance to Win a KitchenAid Professional Mixer and 1 of 10 Copies of The Glass Kitchen by Linda Francis Lee! Click here.

I also wanted to mention there will be a Twitter chat with Linda Francis Lee at 3pm (Eastern) on June 5th.

Spotlight: The Bookman's Tale by Charlie Lovett + Giveaway

A mysterious portrait ignites an antiquarian bookseller’s search through time and the works of Shakespeare for his lost love.

Guaranteed to capture the hearts of everyone who truly loves books, The Bookman’s Tale is a former bookseller’s sparkling novel and a delightful exploration of one of literature’s most tantalizing mysteries with echoes of Shadow of the Wind and A.S. Byatt's Possession.

Hay-on-Wye, 1995. Peter Byerly isn’t sure what drew him into this particular bookshop. Nine months earlier, the death of his beloved wife, Amanda, had left him shattered. The young antiquarian bookseller relocated from North Carolina to the English countryside, hoping to rediscover the joy he once took in collecting and restoring rare books. But upon opening an eighteenth-century study of Shakespeare forgeries, Peter is shocked when a portrait of Amanda tumbles out of its pages. Of course, it isn’t really her. The watercolor is clearly Victorian. Yet the resemblance is uncanny, and Peter becomes obsessed with learning the picture’s origins.

As he follows the trail back first to the Victorian era and then to Shakespeare’s time, Peter communes with Amanda’s spirit, learns the truth about his own past, and discovers a book that might definitively prove Shakespeare was, indeed, the author of all his plays.

I haven't had a chance to read The Bookman's Tale  by Charlie Lovett, but it has been on my wishlist since it came out. I am so excited to be getting a copy! I'm also excited to be able to give a copy away! This is a US only giveaway (no po boxes). I hope who ever wins comes back and tells me what they think on the novel!

If you are in a book club and wanting to read THE BOOKMAN'S TALE by Charlie Lovett there is a great book club kit click here to see it.

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Cure for the Common Breakup by Beth Kendrick

Publish May 6, 2014 by NAL Trade

Summer Benson is a flight attendant, when the plane she is on crashes and her boyfriend drops bomb on her she decides to head to Black Dog Bay.    After she arrives, Hattie Huntington offers her a job.  Dutch Jansen, the town mayor, and Summer start a relationship with a timeframe and lots of rules.   As Summer realizes that Hattie has a nasty vendetta against the town and a special agenda for both the town and Summer.  

I found Cure for the Common Breakup impossible to put down.   Each character, especially the secondary, had cute quirks.    Summer is extremely relatable.    I saw myself as her best friend and wanted to be drinking wine, cork and all, with her.  The fact that Summer was not perfect made her all the more real to me.  She is truthful, loving, and honest.  

The snappy and witty dialogue between Summer and Hattie and Dutch kept me laughing and covering my mouth.  I loved that Summer wanted to get fired, but knew she couldn’t, so she kept at Hattie.  The fact that the truth was being told in these conversations only made them better.    Dutch and Summer’s relationship would have not been nearly as wonderful and entertaining without their conversations.  

Cure for the Common Breakup is the perfect beach read.   I cannot wait to recommend it as a light and fun read.  

Buy Links

Amazon   |   Goodreads   |   B&N

The Quick by Lauren Owen

An astonishing debut, a novel of epic scope and suspense that conjures up all the magic and menace of Victorian London 

London, 1892: James Norbury, a shy would-be poet newly down from Oxford, finds lodging with a charming young aristocrat. Through this new friendship, he is introduced to the drawing-rooms of high society, and finds love in an unexpected quarter. Then, suddenly, he vanishes without a trace. Unnerved, his sister, Charlotte, sets out from their crumbling country estate determined to find him. In the sinister, labyrinthine city that greets her, she uncovers a secret world at the margins populated by unforgettable characters: a female rope walker turned vigilante, a street urchin with a deadly secret, and the chilling “Doctor Knife.” But the answer to her brother’s disappearance ultimately lies within the doors of one of the country’s preeminent and mysterious institutions: The Aegolius Club, whose members include the most ambitious, and most dangerous, men in England.

In her first novel, Lauren Owen has created a fantastical world that is both beguiling and terrifying. The Quick will establish her as one of fiction’s most dazzling talents.

My Thoughts on The Quick...I really went into reading this with extremely high expectations. I love Victorian Gothic novels, but if I was being honest I can't remember the last time I've actually read one before The Quick. I devoured the very beginning of the novel. Two children, Charlotte and James, living in an old country mansion. Their mother is dead and their father is absent. The set up was perfect. Then before I knew it James was a young man finishing up his time at University. Then I was bored. I felt like the story just drug on and on. If the chapters had been shorter it may have felt like I was making progress, but they are really long. Eventually the story does move forward and there are some twists and turn bringing it back to a Victorian Gothic feel.

I will say Lauren Owen's writing is suburb. I mean everything about the novel made me believe I was in a Victorian setting (her writing was authentic to novels of the time). There were moments I was completely engaged in the novel, but a number of times I was skimming the text. Since finishing, I've gone ahead and read a number of other blog reviews of The Quick. Many very much enjoyed it. I have come to the conclusion I need to reread The Quick. While reading it, I was going to two soccer and two baseball games a week, dealing with three kids with numerous end of year school activities/parties, and I've been reading lots of summer type reads. I wonder had I been reading more Gothic and maybe could have been more focused and less rushed...I may have enjoyed it more. Maybe that seems silly? I know I have read both Dracula and Frankenstein a number of times and seem to enjoyed them more after the second and third read through. Anyway, back to The Quick...I would recommend reading it, but don't expect to read it quickly.

Lauren Owen’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:

Monday, May 5th:  Bibliophilia, Please

Monday, May 5th:  No More Grumpy Bookseller

Tuesday, May 6th:  A Daily Does of R & R

Wednesday, May 7th:  Unabridged Chick

Thursday, May 8th:  Too Fond

Friday, May 9th:  October Country

Monday, May 12th:  A Bookish Way of Life

Monday, May 12th:  Let Them Read Books

Tuesday, May 13th:  For the Love of Words

Wednesday, May 14th:  Must Read Faster

Thursday, May 15th:  A Fantastical Librarian

Friday, May 16th:  Bookish Whimsy

Monday, May 19th:  River City Reading

Monday, May 19th:  In Bed with Books

Tuesday, May 20th:  Reading Reality

Tuesday, May 20th:  Svetlana’s Reads and Views

Wednesday, May 21st:  Love at First Book

Thursday, May 22nd:  Luxury Reading

Friday, May 23rd:  A Novel Review

Monday, May 26th:  A Reader of Fictions

Tuesday, May 27th:  Broken Teepee

Wednesday, May 28th:  Book-a-licious Mama

Thursday, May 29th:  Read Lately

Friday, May 30th:  Patricia’s Wisdom

Giveaway Alert!!

I just want to make sure you are aware of a few giveaways! We are hosting a few here plus we are hosting a few over at International Chick Lit Month! Don't miss them!



Win a LADIES' NIGHT by Mary Kay Andrews Goody Bag!

CURE FOR THE COMMON BREAKUP by Beth Kendrick

Forever, Interrupted by Taylor Jenkins Reid 

THE LIFE LIST by Lori Nelson Spielman

Win a LADIES' NIGHT by Mary Kay Andrews Goody Bag!

ABOUT LADIES' NIGHT:

Take a splash of betrayal, add a few drops of outrage, give a good shake to proper behavior and take a big sip of a cocktail called...Ladies' Night!

Grace Stanton's life as a rising media star and beloved lifestyle blogger takes a surprising turn when she catches her husband cheating and torpedoes his pricey sports car straight into the family swimming pool. Grace suddenly finds herself locked out of her palatial home, checking account, and even the blog she has worked so hard to develop in her signature style. Moving in with her widowed mother, who owns and lives above a rundown beach bar called The Sandbox, is less than ideal. So is attending court-mandated weekly "divorce recovery" therapy sessions with three other women and one man for whom betrayal seems to be the only commonality. When their "divorce coach" starts to act suspiciously, they decide to start having their own Wednesday "Ladies' Night" sessions at The Sandbox, and the unanticipated bonds that develop lead the members of the group to try and find closure in ways they never imagined. Can Grace figure out a new way home and discover how strong she needs to be to get there? 

Heartache, humor, and a little bit of mystery come together in a story about life's unpredictable twists and turns. Mary Kay Andrews' Ladies' Night will have you raising a glass and cheering these characters on.

PRAISE FOR LADIES' NIGHT:

"Andrews presents a delightful novel...A wonderful blend of action, repartee and offbeat characters in a just-plain-fun story. Humorous and witty, and as entertaining as a good night out." --Kirkus Reviews

"Her newest novel offers another engaging and satisfying tale of life, loss, and love." --Booklist

"Mary Kay Andrews' novels have become a summer staple like a new pair of sandals. The New York Times best-selling author returns with the perfectly mixed cocktail of romance, mystery and comedy..." --Raleigh News & Observer

"This is her best book yet, and it combines all of the strengths we have come to expect from this audacious and beguiling author." --Huffington Post

"A court-ordered therapy session is the site of the action in Andrews's zesty, amusing latest..." --People

"Mary Kay Andrews blends heartache and hilarity in a story line filled with surprises." --Southern Living

"If there were a literary genre dedicated to great beach books, the novels of Mary Kay Andrews would set its standard for excellence." --Cape Gazette 

I have this amazing goody bag for one continental US only winner!

What could you win:

Signed copy of LADIES' NIGHT in paperback

Set of 3 LADIES' NIGHT recipe cards

LADIES' NIGHT drink coasters

Cocktail umbrellas

LADIES' NIGHT drink cup

Three different Mary Kay Andrews bookmarks

SAVE THE DATE magnet

Set of 3 SAVE THE DATE recipe cards

News about a special SAVE THE DATE pre-order gift

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The 5W's and How of Tracey Garvis Graves

Author of the USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and New York Times bestseller On the Island.

WHO? Who are you besides a writer?

I'm a wife, mother of two, twin sister, early bird, voracious reader, introvert extraordinaire, and life-of-the-party (when I want to be).

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

I love to read, hang out on the computer (Facebook, mostly, even though I've been told the cool kids are over on Twitter), spend time with my family and friends, and listen to music.

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

I've wanted to be a writer since the age of twelve or thirteen. It was many, many years before I was able to call myself one.

WHERE? Where do you write?

I write in my office or in our family room. I have writing chairs in both locations. I can't sit at a desk. I have to type on a laptop, preferably with my dog at my feet.

WHY? Why do you write?

I write because there is no better feeling than watching the stories I've imagined come alive on the page. I write because the possibilities for new stories are literally endless. I write because nothing soothes me as much or can make me as happy as the act of creating.

HOW? How has your writing success changed your life?

When I wrote On the Island I was also working full-time. Thankfully, because of that book's success, I was able to make writing my full-time job. I love being my own boss and having the flexibility that comes with working from home.

Covet

by Tracey Garvis-Graves 

What if the life you wanted, and the woman you fell in love with, belonged to someone else? 

Chris and Claire Canton’s marriage is on life support. Downsized during the recession and out of work for a year, Chris copes by retreating to a dark place where no one can reach him, not even Claire. When he’s offered a position that will keep him away from home four nights a week, he dismisses Claire’s concern that time apart could be the one thing their fragile union can’t weather. Their suburban life may look idyllic on the outside, but Claire has never felt so disconnected from Chris, or so lonely.

Local police officer Daniel Rush used to have it all, but now he goes home to an empty house every night. He pulls Claire over during a routine traffic stop, and they run into each other again at the 4th of July parade. When Claire is hired to do some graphic design work for the police department, her friendship with Daniel grows, and soon they’re spending hours together.

Claire loves the way Daniel makes her feel, and the way his face lights up when she walks into the room. Daniel knows that Claire’s marital status means their relationship will never be anything other than platonic. But it doesn’t take long before Claire and Daniel are in way over their heads, and skating close to the line that Claire has sworn she’ll never cross.

Covet by Tracey Garvis-Graves 

Barnes & Noble | Amazon

Follow Tracey Garvis-Graves 

Facebook | Website

One Hundred Names by Cecelia Ahern

From Goodreads:

Journalist Kitty Logan's career is being destroyed by scandal - and now she faces losing the woman who guided and taught her everything she knew. At her terminally ill friend's bedside, Kitty asks - what is the one story she always wanted to write? The answer lies in a file buried in Constance's office: a list of one hundred names. There is no synopsis, nothing to explain what the story is or who these people are. The list is simply a mystery. But before Kitty can talk to her friend, it is too late. With everything to prove, Kitty is assigned the most important task of her life: to write the story her mentor never had the opportunity to. Kitty not only has to track down and meet the people on the list, but find out what connects them. And, in the process of hearing ordinary people's stories, she starts to understand her own.

My Review:

This is so much more than just a journalist writing the last story from her best friend after her death.    There is lessons to be learned and lessons that need to be shared.   Kitty Logan has been struggling in her career, Constance’s last words to Kitty are the ones that pull her out of that struggle and show her the way she can help the world.    The idea of finding 100 people on a random list, that seems to have nothing in common, was daunting to me, but I loved seeing Kitty do the research and find these people.  Yes, she did not find all 100, but the lesson that was to be shared and learned was shown in the first 8 people she contacted.    Kitty quickly realizes that she doesn’t need all 100 and concentrates on the ones that she has found.  Learning their wonderful stories and teaching them that everyone is extraordinary in their own way. 

I truly loved Steve.  I could see how he felt about Kitty, but was glad that he was a true friend to her.   He was there through the trial and the learning about all the people on the list.   He also was her biggest supporter.  He told her the truth and held her to what she had to do, but also was her biggest supporter.  Steve is the best friend that every girl needs. 

One Hundred Names is captivating and a beautiful story.   As my first book be Cecelia Ahern, I am sure this will not be my last.     I will recommend this book to my friends and family.

Purchase Links

Amazon     |   Goodreads   |   Barnes and Noble

Before she embarked on her writing career, Cecelia Ahern completed a degree in journalism and media communications. At 21, she wrote her first novel, P.S. I Love You, which became an international bestseller and was adapted into a major motion picture, starring Hilary Swank. Her successive novels—Love, Rosie; If You Could See Me Now; and There's No Place Like Here—were also international bestsellers. Her books are published in 46 countries and have collectively sold more than 10 million copies. She is also the cocreator of the hit ABC comedy series Samantha Who?, starring Christina Applegate. The daughter of Ireland's former prime minister, Ahern lives in Dublin, Ireland.

International Chick Lit Month...psst there is a giveaway!

I hope you've been hopping over to International Chick Lit Month and reading all the great guest spots! I know I love hearing from authors and bloggers about one of my favorite topics, Chick Lit!

Today, Taylor Jenkins Reid talks about publishing her first book, FOREVER INTERRUPTED, which I loved! Here is the link to my review for FOREVER INTERRUPTED. I wanted to make sure to let you all know there are THREE copies up for grabs over at International Chick Lit Month (giveaway is for US only). Make sure to enter!

Book Spotlight: CURE FOR THE COMMON BREAKUP by Beth Kendrick + Giveaway!

Welcome to Black Dog Bay, a tiny seaside town in Delaware known as "the best place in America to bounce back from your breakup." Home to Better Off Bed-and-Breakfast, the Eat Your Heart Out bakery, and the Whinery bar, Black Dog Bay offers a haven for the suddenly single.

Flight attendant Summer Benson lives by two rules: Don’t stay with the same man for too long and never stay in one place. She’s about to break rule number one by considering accepting her boyfriend’s proposal—then disaster strikes and her world is shattered in an instant.

Summer heads to Black Dog Bay, where the locals welcome her. Even Hattie Huntington, the town’s oldest, richest, and meanest resident, likes her enough to give her a job. Then there’s Dutch Jansen, the rugged, stoic mayor, who’s the opposite of her type. She probably shouldn't be kissing him. She definitely shouldn't be falling in love.

After a lifetime of globe-trotting, Summer has finally found a home. But Hattie has old scores to settle and a hidden agenda for her newest employee. Summer finds herself faced with an impossible choice: Leave Black Dog Bay behind forever, or stay with the ones she loves and cost them everything.

Buy yourself a copy of CURE FOR THE COMMON BREAKUP by Beth Kendrick 

Barnes & Noble | Amazon

Beth Kendrick is the author of 10 women's fiction novels, including "Cure for the Common Breakup" and "Nearlyweds", which was turned into a Hallmark Channel original movie.

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The Shadow Years by Hannah Richell

Publish Date June 20, 2013 by Orion Publishing 

The Shadow Year by Hannah Richell is May's SheReads book of the month.   Each month a large group of bloggers promote one wonderful book as part of the SheReads group. 

Lila is living, or trying to get back into the world of the living, when she receives an anonymous letter in the mail with a key in it.   They key leads her to an abandoned cottage.   She flees her husband and mother, heading to check out this plot of land in an area she has never even visited.     Arriving she begins to find clues to the history of the cottage, including a bullet hole in a beam and a drawing of five people on a wall. 

Flashback to 1980, you will find five graduates living in this cottage after stumbling on it.  They decide to live there for one full year, living off the ground and the bare necessities.    As the seasons change, the five friends find themselves struggling to find food and living with more and more tension.   

My Review:

I read this book during an extremely crazy and busy week.   Often I would find myself finding a quiet corner to read one more chapter, just because I have to know what would happen next.   The fact that it was told in two parts, with the parts not quite weaving together although I knew they had to at some point.  It was perfect that they two stories were told in alternating chapters. 

Each of the five graduates had their own personalities.  Simon was the in charge guy.  I felt he was incredibly manipulative and many times I wondered if these five were some sort of a cult with him as their leader.   Kat was so wishy washy.    She let everyone walk all over her, due to her fear of being alone.  Mac was the quiet observer.   He saw it all and stayed out of the way.    Ben and Carla were the happy couple.    They seemed to do their own thing, being removed from the group, but not quite outsiders.   There was also a surprise visitor to this group.   This visitor was the most interesting to me.  She appears almost unaware of what is going on around.  As the story went on I believe this stranger knew more that she let on and was well aware of what was going on.   The fact that they all managed to live together for a year was amazing to me.

I devoured this book.   I was intrigued by who Lila really was, knowing there had to be a connection to the five friends.   I felt like I was solving a puzzle, getting clues in each and every chapter.  

The Shadow Years is a definite recommendation for all readers from me.  

Purchase Links

Amazon   |   Goodreads   |   Barnes and Noble

Author Links

Twitter   |   Facebook  |   Blog 

UP AT BUTTERNUT LAKE by Mary McNear

In the spirit of Kristin Hannah and Susan Wiggs, comes this debut novel-the first in an unforgettable new series by Mary McNear

It's been ten years since Allie Beckett crossed the threshold of her family cabin at Butternut Lake, Minnesota. Now, newly widowed after the death of her husband in Afghanistan, she's returned with her five-year-old son.

There, she reconnects with the friends she had in childhood-best girlfriend Jax, now married with three kids and one on the way, and Caroline, owner of the local coffee shop. What Allie doesn't count on is a newcomer to Butternut Lake, Walker Ford.

Up at Butternut Lake follows these four unforgettable characters across a single summer as they struggle with love, loss, and what it means to take risks, confront fears, and embrace life, in all of its excitement and unpredictability.

Allie Beckett could never have imagined, when she ran away from her old life, that she was running into a whole new life, up at the lake…

My thoughts:

This is one of those books where the pages just melted away! There isn't a character in this novel I didn't love. With every page I read I became more attached to everyone in this little town of Butternut. I mean, Allie has moved to a cabin in the woods--on a lake, dream location! I couldn't help, but feel empathy for Allie. She is a young widow with a small child. She has run from their home in the suburbs, because she wanted to spend her days living in her grief. She wanted to get away from people pushing her to move forward, but what happens when she gets to Butternut is she begins moving forward--but maybe quicker than she is ready for.

I honestly don't think I could have enjoyed a book more. I loved everything about it. The undertone was comforting and welcoming. The characters-perfect with all their flaws. Emotions were plentiful! I found myself smiling and then suddenly tears would be falling...Up At Butternut Lake ring true. People dealing with their pasts, trying to move forward. A novel of love of family, family not by blood, but by choice. I didn't want to leave Butternut, these characters. I want to go back and see them again and continue to watch their stories. This book will stay with me for awhile. Highly highly recommending!

Follow Mary McNear

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Tuesday, April 15th: She’s Got Books on Her Mind

Wednesday, April 16th: Bibliotica

Thursday, April 17th: Kritters Ramblings

Monday, April 21st: Stephany Writes

Tuesday, April 22nd: Book Journey

Wednesday, April 23rd: A Chick Who Reads

Thursday, April 24th: Peeking Between the Pages

Tuesday, April 29th: Walking With Nora

Wednesday, April 30th: A Bookish Way of Life

Thursday, May 1st: missris

Friday, May 2nd: A Novel Review

Monday, May 5th: Always With a Book

Tuesday, May 6th: From the TBR Pile

Wednesday, May 7th: Time 2 Read

INTERNATIONAL CHICK LIT MONTH

May is International Chick Lit Month! I am so excited to let you know A Novel Review is hosting with ChickLit Club, Chick Lit Central, and I Heart Chick Lit to bring you bring guest posts from authors, bloggers and industry figures will appear every day in May!!! 

http://internationalchicklitmonth.com/

Make sure to head over there everyday!!! Pssst there will also be some giveaways too!