My take on: The Book of Someday

Three women with different backgrounds, and leading separate lives are uniquely tied by a mysterious woman in a shimmering silver dress. Sounds intriguing. Livvi, Micah, and AnnaLee don't know each other but they have a connection that will forever haunt them. The cover certainly hints at an air of mystery. Why does that young girl have her eyes closed? Whose hair is that above her? What story is lurking behind that cover? I had the opportunity to meet the author, Dianne Dixon, and get my book signed at BookExpo America.

Livvi had an abusive childhood. Her mother abandoned her. Her father and step-mother both act like they hate her. Livvi grew up fearing her father. She tried to hide from him, but he would always find her and pull Livvi by her hair. Her step-mother Calista was no help. Everything wrong in the family was somehow Livvi's fault. She was constantly tormented by a frequent nightmare about a woman in a shimmering silver dress. I thought to myself, what is so scary about that? How will it connect to the rest of the stories? I had to keep reading to find out. Livvi's only refuge was a journal, where she would write about her hopes and dreams. As an adult, Livvi fully separated herself from her family and turned that journal into a novel called "The Book of Someday." The novel is her chance to forge her own path in life.

Everything should be good for Livvi, but a new relationship makes her question everything. Andrew is handsome, charismatic, rich, and most of all loving. But Livvi knows he is hiding something. He won't reveal any personal details. On the flip side, neither will Livvi. Why tell him her sob story? Andrew's secrets and his reasons for hiding them seemed a little unrealistic. He has a daughter, Grace, a crazy wife, and a mother who loves his crazy wife. He can't divorce this crazy wife because it might literally kill her. She might go off the deep end. That didn't seem realistic to me. He seemed to be using the crazy wife as an excuse. The only thing keeping Livvi with Andrew is Grace. Even though this isn't her child, Livvi wants to offer Grace a refuge from the craziness. She can be that person whom Grace can turn to when things get too crazy. But she could be setting herself up for failure. Without Grace, what kind of relationship do Livvi and Andrew really have?

I know I spent a lot of time on Livvi, but there was a lot to discuss. Micah is a famous photographer, who has just been given a devastating diagnosis. She has breast cancer, and without treatment she could have very little time left. She hasn't had too much time for relationships or close connections. Micah is all about Micah. But now she has to find out if anyone cares about her? Will anyone miss when she is gone? Has anyone's life been worse or better since she left it. This journey is very humbling and humiliating for Micah. When it's all said and done, the last thing she has to do is confront the picture of the woman in a shimmering silver dress. I was a little confused by her connection with the picture, but it certainly was engaging to read.

Livvi and Micah's stories both take place during the present day. AnnaLee's story takes place in 1986. She is a young mother and housewife. Her husband Jack feels like he is constantly disappointing AnnaLee. He hasn't found a career that motivates him. AnnaLee has to sell her family heirlooms to help make ends meet. Their niece Persephone is a moody teenager, who doesn't feel like connecting with her aunt and uncle. I connected the most with this narrative. AnnaLee just wants her ensure he family's happiness and financial security. But it's so difficult. She manages to bond with Persephone, but Jack is still a work in progress. The end of this narrative is extremely sad, you have to read the book to know what I'm talking about!!

Separately, I think all three women could have carried their own book. There were moments when I was wondering how this all fits together. In the end, it all works and is a story worth reading!!

Rating: Superb

Note: I received a copy of the book at BookExpo America.

My take on: Love Gone Mad

Before I get into my review of Love Gone Mad by Mark Rubinstein I have start with a little analogy. I have to liken the writing in this book to a Lifetime movie. What do I mean by that? The book wasn't perfect, but it had an addictive quality that I just couldn't shy away from. A little bit of romance, mystery, and suspense kept me turning the pages.

A near-death assault with a tall, beefy stranger has shaken heart surgeon Adrian Douglas to the core. Adrian has always felt safe in his local bar, but not on this particular night. The mystery man has a murderous look in his eye. He even tosses a few insults Adrian's way. He leaves the bar, but not before firing his shotgun at the bar. The mystery man disappears, but he's left Adrian a little uneasy. The good doctor doesn't have a lot of time to reflect on his scary encounter.

Nurse Megan Haggarty catches Adrian's eye. They get to know each other and fall in love rather quickly. He's not scared off by her young daughter Marlee either. But Megan's past could derail her future with Adrian. Her CRAZY ex-husband Conrad is out for revenge. As crazy as it sounds, Conrad is convinced Megan was having an affair with Adrian throughout their marriage and that Marlee is actually Adrian's daughter. Hmmmmmmmm?? Megan and Adrian didn't know each other until a few months ago, but somehow they were conspiring behind Conrad's back. At this point in the book, the story becomes less of thriller and more of a indictment on mental illness.

Is Conrad delusional? Is he crazy? Is he just another bitter ex-husband? He could be all of those things. Does that mean he gets a pass? Should he still be able to know right from wrong? If he's really sick does he deserve to be in prison or in a mental hospital? I just saw him as a jerk who deserved to be in prison with other jerks like him. Just when you think the crisis is over, something else happens. I think that's why I had trouble buying into the entire plot. Some elements were borderline in believability. There were even some elements of Megan and Adrian's relationship that bugged me. I can't be too specific because it's a big spoiler, but it has to do with Marlee. READ the book to find out what I'm talking about. There's also a big reveal at the end of the book, and I wonder if it was even necessary. It's one set of extreme circumstances after the other, and that's why I compared this book to a Lifetime movie. Despite my problems with some parts of the book, I kept on reading because the book still had a compulsive quality to it. It was like trying to eat one potato chip, I just couldn't stop until the book was over.

Rating: Give it a try

Note: I received a copy of the book from Meryl Moss Media Relations as part of a blog tour

Book Spotlight: The Husband's Secret

I know I've been missing in action the past few weeks. Vacation and a semi-reading slump have slowed my reading pace. With school starting, I will do my best with my blog posts. I have several reviews scheduled for September, including The Book of Someday by Dianne Dixon, The Wedding Gift by Marlen Suyapa Bodden, and... The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty -- which is the September selection for She Reads.

Here's the gist of the book, imagine your husband left you a letter to be opened upon his death. That letter contains his deepest, darkest secret. A secret that could destroy your life and the lives of others. Hmmmmmmmmmmmm....that sounds intriguing. What's the secret? Looking at the cover, I would never guess that this is about a long-held secret. The cover looks so uplifting, so cheerful. I'm intrigued. Stay tuned for my review.

Here's a video of the author talking about the book (UK cover is featured in the video). Enjoy!!

My take on: Afterburn

Ever wanted a second chance at love? Ever thought about the one that got away? Ever wonder what could have been? Gianna "Gia" Rossi was once in the throes of a hot, hot, romance with Jackson "Jax" Rutledge. Their relationship ended abruptly, and Gia has done everything possible to forget him. She's just landed her dream job with restauranteur Lei Yeung. Everything in her life is going right....that is until he shows up. Jax is back in Afterburn, the latest romantic adventure from author Sylvia Day.

Clocking in at 135 pages, it's a quick and easy read. But it feels like a little bit of a tease. There is a decent amount of back story on Gia. She comes from a loving family. The Rossi family restaurant taught Gia all she knows about the business, but she wants something for herself. Working for Lei Yeung is a chance for Gia to pave her own path in the restaurant business. All of her brothers, some of whom hate Jax, serve as her protectors. But of course Jax returns.

I just don't think we know enough about Jax and his character. Jax comes from a wealthy political family. He's a typical playboy. Or is he? It seems like Gia has an image of Jax in her mind and doesn't want to entertain anything else. It's hard for Gia to believe that Jax might actually love her. By the end of the book she's entertaining the thought that Jax has changed. But the book ends before it can delve any deeper. Which is why I say......what a TEASE. I know enough about Gia, but I want to know more about Jax. He exudes power and sex appeal, but I don't know what makes him tick. What are his vulnerabilities? I want to be inside his head. I'm kind of hoping that Aftershock, the next book, is told from Jax's perspective. There's always hope, and I'm looking forward to the next book!!

Rating: Give it a try

Note: I received an ARC from Little Bird Publicity in exchange for an honest review.

Red-Hot Reads and a giveaway!!!

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shake it up and what do you get??

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Why have these two not come together sooner? How about a few stats about these two companies?
More than 1 million Cosmopolitan readers bought at least one romance novel in the last twelve months. Cosmo reaches 1 in every 7 women who read romance novels. And..the Cosmo Red-Hot Reads section of the magazine is one of the most popular features. Harlequin has long been one of the leading publishers of series romance. Harlequin.com receives 7 million page views and 450,000 unique visitors per month. So it makes perfect sense that these two have come together to form Cosmo Red-Hot Reads from Harlequin.

The e-books will be short stories of 30,000 words. They're very affordable at $3.99, but if you order from Amazon.com of course they are a little cheaper. The kickoff author is bestselling author Sylvia Day. Until a couple of days ago, I had never read a book by Sylvia Day. I did attend the kickoff party for Cosmo Red-Hot Reads and I got a book signed by Sylvia Day at BookExpo America. I do own the Crossfire series but......like a lot of my books I haven't read them yet. But I'm inspired to do so after reading Afterburn. 

Afterburn is out now, but now I want to read the next book Aftershock -- which will be released in November. The first book felt like a little bit of a tease. The story is just beginning. I don't want to give away anything right now because I will be posting a review later this week. Both stories will be released as a two-in-one paperback in November.

Future stories from this new venture will include e-books by Lauren Dane, Tawny Weber,
Helen Kay Dimon, Jina Bacarr, and Sarah Morgan.

As a special treat, I have a goodie bag (courtesy of Little Bird Publicity) available for giveaway!!

Hopefully, the Rafflecopter giveaway posted below works. Let me know if it doesn't!! The giveaway is for U.S. residents only, and ends on August 26th. Just enter your e-mail and leave a comment. Extra entries if you follow my blog or on Twitter. Good luck!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

My take on: Sharp

"Just as Presley said, I was becoming like many young men who go from a first visit at a mental hospital and then to the fifth and then the tenth and then are suddenly transformed into chronics. That was a significant lesson I learned quickly -- it's excruciatingly hard not to return to a psychiatric ward. Once you've been broken to a certain point -- attempting suicide or cutting or having a breakdown or psychosis, you will probably be admitted again. It's a horrible fact, really, but it's truth."  -- Pg. 193

That's a long passage to begin with, but I felt it was one of the most insightful in Sharp: My Story of Madness, Cutting, and How I Reclaimed My Life by  David Fitzpatrick.

For starters, this book isn't for everyone. After just a couple of chapters I wasn't sure it was for me. Initially, David Fitzpatrick sounded like a typical college student who never grew up. But as I delved deeper and deeper into the book, I realized that wasn't the case. In college, Fitzpatrick was subject to some horrible bullying by his college roommates. It went beyond the typical college hazing. With each instance, I'm screaming internally for Fitzpatrick to stand up for himself. Say something. Say no. Fight back. Don't let people walk all over you. His college roommates weren't the only reason for his descent into mental illness, but they certainly didn't help.

Internally, there is a war going on inside Fitzpatrick's head. He tries therapy. His family thinks he's getting better. He tries to do normal things, like going out with friends, even though he would rather retreat within himself. Somehow cutting becomes the answer. It's a release. It's freeing. His descriptions of cutting and mutilating himself are rather stomach-churning. After a long stint in a hospital, Fitzpatrick just left the grounds on a whim. To the outside world he might have appeared as an overweight and somewhat weird man in his 20s, but who could know about the war going on inside his head. Left to his own devices, he bought a bunch of razors, cut himself from head to toe, and smeared his blood all over the hospital grounds. It's hard to read. It's hard to know that so many people have reached that point. I'm not sure he was trying to kill himself. It was more like he was trying to disappear or not feel the pain. It's hard to disappear when you do something like this, but you can tell he felt like a burden to his family. Mental illness runs in Fitzpatrick's family, but he felt like he was sucking all the attention away from his siblings.

Sometimes you think he's making progress, but he's really just afraid to get better. Afraid to get at the root of the problem. That's why I opened with that quote. I thought it was very perceptive of him. After that last incident, his therapist forced Fitzpatrick to take a hard look at himself. He could become like a lot of mentally ill people, he could find himself in a never-ending cycle of hospitalization. Or he could finally start to feel again, he could finally get to the root of the problem and start living a normally. It didn't happen overnight for him, there was no quick fix.

It's refreshing to read a book like this. He was willing to be open and honest about everything. He's willing to let the world know about his life and its ups and downs. In his youth, he had a bit of naivete about sex and sexual identity, but as an adult he was very graphic about his sexual exploits. But at the same time, he was very aware that something was wrong with him mentally. His writing is very blunt and gritty. It's not easy to read, but ultimately it's a story of redemption and hope.

Rating: Superb

Note: I received a copy of the book from the publisher (HarperCollins) as part of a blog tour with TLC Book Tours

Book Spotlight: The Perfume Collector

Last month I just wasn't feeling The Firebird by Susanna Kearsley and did not finish. It was the July selection for She Reads, but......I did not post a review. I was kind of indifferent about it. Time to time that might happen. That's not the case with the August selection, The Perfume Collector by Kathleen Tessaro.

Except......I've already read it. I did love the book!!! I'm a sucker for historical fiction.

Here's a little snippet of what I said in my review of  The Perfume Collector:

"The life of newlywed Grace Monroe is in a state of flux. She's having trouble fitting into the 1950s London social scene. She doesn't know the right thing to say or do. She wants a life that isn't all about her husband. Grace is thinking about getting a job, but her friend Mallory tries to dissuade her. Grace isn't supposed to want anything for herself. She is supposed to attend society parties, look pretty on her husband's arm, and start a family. Is something wrong with Grace because she wants more out of life? I guess it was during this time period."

This book reminded me a lot of M.J. Rose's reincarnationist series. Like Rose's books, Tessaro's writing is a trip for the senses. I was really immersed in this book. So it's definitely worth reading. Check it out!!