Review: A Cutthroat Business by Bente Gallagher

I just read A Cutthroat Business by Bente Gallagher which will be released by PublishingWorks this summer!

Summary: Savannah Martin is a brand new realtor who is not having much luck breaking into the market, until she gets a call from a client whose realtor doesn't show for their appointment and she agrees to meet him at the property. Unfortunately, they find the murdered body of the original realtor and the client turns out to be Rafe Collier, sexy bad boy from high school. Savannah decides to do a little investigating on her own, which of course keeps throwing her in the path of Rafe, the kind of guy your mother warns you about, and hers still does, as she is trying to fix Savannah up with an ex-boyfriend from high school, a "good boy."

My Thoughts: This is what I would call "Murder Lite." It's a murder mystery, but not in a gory intense way. It's more "user friendly," if that could be said about murder mysteries, and apparently it could be because I just said it! At any rate, it's not so serious, and more fun and light than your typical murder story. The victim really has no redeeming qualities, so I didn't feel too bad about her untimely demise (kind of insensitive, but true). This is the first in the series of Savannah Martin mysteries so I'm definitely looking forward to more of Savannah's misadventures. Unfortunately if I had just seen this book, say at the library or bookstore, I probably wouldn't have picked it up because I wasn't really attracted to the cover. So as it turns out, the old saying is true, "You can't judge a book by it's cover." I really enjoyed getting to meet Savannah Martin and can't wait for the next release.

My Rating: 4/5

Disclaimer: Though I received this book free of charge for review, these are my honest opinions.

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Interview with Author Laura Fabiani

I am happy to have Laura Fabiani, whose book Daughter of Mine I just reviewed, here today for an interview!

Has your job as a counselor influenced your writing at all?

I do tend to write best about what I know and have experienced in life. Working as a counselor has opened up my world to different personalities and backgrounds. I am a people person, a people watcher. I love to find out why people do or say certain things and what makes them tick. Being a counselor also showed me the darker side of life, which replaced the naiveté of youth. I also get inspired and influenced by books, music, family and the everyday mundane things I do, both as a mom, wife and teacher. Doesn’t sound too glamorous I know, but that’s where creative writing comes in handy! It’s all in the way you display things.

What made you decide to write about Italy?

I have loved Italy since I first visited my relatives at the age of four. My mother is Roman and her whole family is still living in Rome. My father is from the mountainous region of Abruzzo. I can still remember the first time I saw the Coliseum or tasted my first gelato. I speak the language and can easily blend in with the Romans when I visit, although I was born and bred in Montreal. The experiences of my trips to Italy have always been exciting and fun, and I wanted to translate some of that in my novel.

I noticed that you teach creative writing. What would you define creative writing as? What differentiates it from other kinds of writing?

I would define creative writing as writing that is inventive such as fiction and poetry. In the non-fiction category it would cover memoirs and any topic written creatively versus journalistic, academic, or technical. I stress originality in my workshops. I aim to inspire my students to find their writer’s voice and to be proud of it.

What was the last really great book you read?

I finished reading The Last Queen by C.W. Gortner last month, and it is a book I still think about. Gortner’s writing is beautiful and rich with stunning prose and historical detail. I was enthralled by the story of Mad Juana, the last queen of Spain. I can still remember the last sentence of the book—one of the best endings I have read. There are few books in which I can actually remember the last words written.

Can you tell us three interesting facts about yourself?

1. I have noticed in the last few years that I can get claustrophobic. Having seen the effects this has had on another family member who won’t take elevators, travel by plane or keep the windows closed while sitting in a car, I am determined to beat this fear by purposely putting myself in situations that would warrant sweaty palms and a rapidly beating heart. For instance, last summer my 6 year-old son convinced me that sliding down the dark, winding tunnel at the giant water park was “a blast”. I swallowed my fear, smiled at my son and got an exhilarating ride that ended in a might splash and a wedgy!

2. I don’t drink coffee, only tea. The exception was in Rome in 2007 when my uncle took my husband and I to a renowned bar that makes the best espresso and cappuccino in the city. My uncle brushed off my protests of not liking coffee and bought me one. After my husband licked his cappuccino cup clean and asked (hoping I would say no) if I was going to drink mine, I did, more out of curiosity than anything else. It was amazing! I haven’t had coffee since.

3. I like to cook and experiment with different foods and spices. The best-tasting meals were when I was pregnant with my daughter and EVERYTHING tasted delicious. It was like I was rediscovering food again, a veritable feast for my taste buds. I can make a killer tiramisu. (Yeah…the fat content might kill you but the taste will be heavenly.)

If you were going on a trip and could bring only three books along, what would they be?

Since I will soon be going on a trip, I gave this question some thought. If the number is limited to three, then it would have to be…the Bible (I strive to read it daily), Here Burns My Candle by Liz Curtis Higgs (I recently won this historical novel and can’t wait to read it!) and Lucia, Lucia by Adriana Trigiani because a funny book is the perfect read on a plane.

Thank you so much, Laura, for stopping by today! I would love to try that tiramisu lol! Also, check out Laura's book review blog here!

Review: My Own Personal Soap Opera by Libby Malin

My Own Personal Soap Opera by Libby Malin was released by Sourcebooks this month.

Summary: Frankie McNally is the headwriter on the daytime soap, "Lust for Life." Unfortunately, the ratings are slowly dwindling and a representative from the show's leading sponsor is sent in to try and revive the show. Frankie finds herself caught romantically between this handsome older man and the gorgeous star of the show. Meanwhile, a real life jewel thief is copying a storyline from the show, forcing Frankie to decide to keep it up to save the show's ratings or shutting it down to prevent future crimes.

My Thoughts: This was a light, fast read with a cute story. Frankie is a sympathetic likable character, trying to juggle her personal and private life. She has an interesting relationship with her mother, who is a huge fan of the show and is constantly pitching story lines to her. When Frankie is faced with a problem in her personal life, she tends to work it out by writing out stories for the soap's characters. This was an interesting and fun premise for a novel plus it was really interesting to read about TV shows and how it all works behind the scenes!

My rating: 3.5/5

Review: Daughter of Mine by Laura Fabiani

I was honored to take part in the blog tour for Laura Fabiani's new novel, Daughter of Mine, where you will "get swept away to Italy in an adventure of life lessons . . ."

Summary: Tiziana Manoretti is a successful 27-year-old engineer, who suddenly finds her whole world turned upside down when her mother becomes ill and her parents inform her that she was adopted as an infant in Italy. She decides to travel to Italy in an attempt to locate her birth parents. Meanwhile, she is also questioning whether she and her best friend Christopher could possibly be more than friends.

My Thoughts: I thoroughly enjoyed this first novel from new author, Laura Fabiani. It was an interesting premise in that Tiziana did not find out she was adopted until much later in life than adopted children normally do and so had more issues to deal with than someone who is given this information as a child. She runs into so many roadblocks and secrets in trying to get information about her birth that I was genuinely curious about what all these people were hiding from her and couldn't wait to get to the end to find the answers. On top of all this, she is also trying to figure out if there's something more to her relationship with Christopher than just friendship. There were such vivid descriptions of the sites in Italy that I would love to visit the Villa Tiziana stayed in while searching for the truth. I may have to just Google it to see if it really exists!!! My father's side of the family is Italian so I could really relate to a lot of this and found it really interesting too! I definitely look forward to reading more work from Laura in the future.

Rating: 4/5

Be sure to stop back on April 26th when Laura will be stopping by for an interview!

Review: Beautiful People by Wendy Holden

I just read Wendy Holden's book Beautiful People, released this month from Sourcebooks.

Summary: This is a story about three different people: Darcy, a proper English actress, who gets a call from Hollywood for a huge part in a new blockbuster, Belle, who was a big star a year ago, but since her last film bombed, is yesterday's news and Emma, a down-to-earth nanny, trying to survive in London's childcare scene of crazy celebrity moms. Set in London, Hollywood and Italy, see how their worlds collide.

My Thoughts: I had read mixed reviews about Beautiful People, with some people saying it was too confusing and hard to follow and I didn't find that to be the case at all. The main characters are all so different that it was easy to keep them and their storylines straight. It was fun to root for the good guys and wish terrible things on the bad and to see how the author tied all their stories together. I couldn't wait to get to the end to see what happened and I was totally satisfied. I think I may have read some of her other books, but I'll have to check into that because I definitely want to read more. A great, fun read!!

My Rating: 4/5

Disclaimer: Though this book was received for review, these are my honest opinions.

Review: For Keeps by Natasha Friend

I just recently read For Keeps by Natasha Friend for Around the World Tours.

Summary: For 16 year old Josie Gardner's entire life, it's always been just her and her mom, Kate. The two of them share everything and have an incredible relationship: the ideal mother-daughter/best friend bond. Josie's never known anything different, until the Tucci's move back in town, who just so happen to be the parents of Paul Tucci . . . Josie's father that left town when he and Kate were teenagers themselves and had just found out they were going to be having a baby. Josie's never known him and feels resentful, meanwhile, Kate has become an emotional mess, while they anxiously tiptoe around town hoping Paul doesn't show up anytime soon. Throw in Josie's hot new boyfriend, Matt, Kate's clingy new boyfriend, Jonathan, Josie's whacky but always lovable best friend Liv and her two dads, and you've got one helluva an adventure!

My Thoughts: This was a really enjoyable read! I loved the emotions and honest feelings - it kept the story feeling real and helped me to connect with the characters - Josie in particular. I loved the strong mother-daughter relationship, because to me, that is the most special relationship in the world. Theirs reminded me of the Gilmore Girls - one of my all time favorite shows! I also loved that the author kept their relationship real and added tension and fights between them, because lets face it, no matter how close any of us are with our parents, we all fight with them sometimes. Liv, as well as her two dads, Pops and Dodd, were also great characters that provided lots of comic relief. For some reason, I kept envisioning Dodd as Cam from Modern Family, which is another one of my favorite shows. He reminded me a lot of him, which is a good thing. Anyways, I thought this book was wonderfully done. It was realistic, charming, and emotional. I am planning on reading Natasha's other books.

My Rating: 4/5

Review: Skin by Ted Dekker

I just finished reading a thriller called Skin by Ted Dekker.

Summary: Whew, how to summarize this one?! Okay . . . a freak storm brings five random people together in the small town of Summerville. There, they encounter a mysterious and stealthy killer, Red, who is after them, for reasons unknown to them. The five of them, including Wendy, a former cult survivor, and Colt, a cop, take shelter in a library for several days where the mysterious Red hides and forces them to play his creepy games. He wants them to choose the "ugliest" of the five and kill them, and in the meantime, he'll be on a killing spree in the town, until they decide.

The strange thing is, when they initially go outside, they see nothing but sand and desert land which has covered the town after the storm, but a few hours the later, the town has reappeared. The next day, they see only sand again . . . then the town. The FBI are also involved in the case, and sometimes are able to get in contact with Colt, Wendy and the others (when they can see the town), but not all the time (when they can see only the desert). This leads the FBI to think that either Wendy, Colt and company are collaboratively Red, or that something is wrong in their minds . . .

My Thoughts: WHOA! Okay. This book was full of suspense and was also a total psychological thriller, which I was not expecting. It was full of twists, turns and surprises, which I thoroughly enjoyed. After about a hundred pages or so, I could not stop turning the pages! I did take issue with this book though for a couple of reasons: there were WAY too many characters, to the point that I could not really keep them all straight. I did like the conclusion though, which had a real shocker that I did not see coming at all. My only problem with the ending was the last page or so which I felt could have been tied up more nicely. I did like the conclusion as a whole though, what with the shock factor and all. All in all, this was an interesting and suspenseful read with a couple of setbacks. I'd read Ted Dekker's work again.

My Rating: 3.5/5

To All My Bloggy Friends...

Dear Bloggy Friends,

I started blogging a few months ago and had no idea that a book blogging community even existed, and now I know so many awesome people because of it. Please know that you enhance my life greatly. It's nice to have people to share my passion with and talk books with, and comforting to know I'm not alone. There are many of you that I truly consider to be my friends, and I feel honored and happy to know you, and my only regret is that I don't get to know you in person.

In person, I am and always have been painfully shy and full of anxiety. I have a handful of great friends that have been in my life for years, but otherwise have a hard time meeting new friends as a result of my being so shy. However, in this special and fantastic community, I feel like I can be myself. I have "met" so many great people. My life is better because of all of you, and I thank you.

Thank you for talking books with me. Thank you for reading what I have to say. Thank you for all the fabulous book recommendations that have turned my TBR pile into a TBR mountain. Thank you for letting me be ME. Above all, though, thank you for being my friend.

Sincerely,
Stephanie

Review: The Mark by Jen Nadol

I just finished reading The Mark by Jen Nadol for Around the World Tours.

Summary: Sixteen year old Cassie is haunted by "the mark." Ever since she was a child, she has had a sense of when someone will die. On the day of someone's death, she will see a light surrounding them. She is frightened by this, and also worried about what she should do with the knowledge. Her parents died when she was a child, and she has been living with her grandma, Nan, ever since. One day, she sees the mark on Nan and tries to save her but to no avail. She is sent away to live with an aunt she doesn't know, across the country in Kansas, where she continues to see the mark and wonder about whether she has the right to cheat fate and death by warning the people, or if she should leave things be.

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book. It was a fast paced book with lots of excitement. Overall, the book had a really dark undertone and was very unique. It also made me think a lot about fate, death and destiny. This book kept me turning the pages at a fast pace so that I could find out about Cassie's power, and her family's unusual past which led to the mark. I'd recommend this book to people looking for something different and exciting, particularly fans of YA paranormal and supernatural books.

My Rating: 4/5