Matchmaking for Beginners by Maddie Dawson

July 4, 2018 By 12 Comments


Matchmaking for Beginners by Maddie Dawson
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full length (408 pages)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Xeranthemum

Marnie MacGraw wants an ordinary life—a husband, kids, and a minivan in the suburbs. Now that she’s marrying the man of her dreams, she’s sure this is the life she’ll get. Then Marnie meets Blix Holliday, her fiancé’s irascible matchmaking great-aunt who’s dying, and everything changes—just as Blix told her it would.

When her marriage ends after two miserable weeks, Marnie is understandably shocked. She’s even more astonished to find that she’s inherited Blix’s Brooklyn brownstone along with all of Blix’s unfinished “projects”: the heartbroken, oddball friends and neighbors running from happiness. Marnie doesn’t believe she’s anything special, but Blix somehow knew she was the perfect person to follow in her matchmaker footsteps.

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Have you ever read a story where the secondary character sets the stage for everything that comes after, and their presence is so powerful and important that they color the whole book – and it’s an AWESOME thing to see? Like, profound, and emotional and special and wonderful? If not, then get ready for a unique treat because Matchmaking for Beginners is a book like no other and sure to inspire a bevy of fans and followers. I’m one.

On one hand, I want to be sad at certain parts of the story but then I think, “what would Blix say?”, and I can’t be gloomy. Blix is the secondary character that touches a reader’s heart as she strives to bring love, sparkles and happiness to others. Her strength is in how much she loves the people she meets and her acceptance of things that would destroy and depress folks in similar circumstances. She rises above that and her legacy is embodied in Marnie, a most unlikely heroine.

In the beginning the novel is told from two points of view, Blix and Marnie’s, and it’s a first person delivery for both. Eventually Marnie takes center stage because it’s her love story with all its hilarious ups and downs, mistakes and triumphs that Matchmaking for Beginners is all about. The mistakes she makes are common and completely believable. Her thought processes makes perfect sense and I could see myself coming to the same conclusions. And, we’d both be wrong. It’s an interesting learning curve.

I won’t reveal the people who touched my heart the most because I don’t want to dilute the impact. The author introduced me to so many folks while Marnie continued on her journey to her ‘big life’, and every single one helped her grow as a person, giving her insights, joy, hope and for readers, entertainment. There are a couple of characters that introduce personal drama and pitfalls that Marnie has to dodge, overcome and face the truths they reveal. All of it is an amazing reading experience.

The love of Marnie’s life isn’t a typical hero trope. I think that’s what made me love this novel so hard – it’s a special true love. It’s beautiful, magical and worthy of this author’s writing talents. I lost count as to how many times, I sniffled on the way to getting teary then bam, I’m laughing or melting into a romantic puddle.

I loved Matchmaking for Beginners. It’s not my usual type of book but I was wowed, impressed and bowled over by how Ms. Dawson’s characters’ came to life before my very eyes. They had depth, heart, quirky issues and were easy to fall in love with. I expected that this novel of over 400 pages would take me a couple of days to slog through. Instead, I read it in one day, one sitting and time flew. That’s the mark of an awesome book and a very talented writer. Kudos to Ms. Dawson for giving me an amazing reading experience.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , ,

A Tangled Mercy by Joy Jordan-Lake

January 25, 2018 By 3 Comments


A Tangled Mercy by Joy Jordan-Lake
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Historical
Length: Full length (464 pages)
Rating: 4.5 stars
Review by: Cholla

After the sudden death of her troubled mother, struggling Harvard grad student Kate Drayton walks out on her lecture—and her entire New England life. Haunted by unanswered questions and her own uncertain future, she flees to Charleston, South Carolina, the place where her parents met, convinced it holds the key to understanding her fractured family and saving her career in academia. Kate is determined to unearth groundbreaking information on a failed 1822 slave revolt—the subject of her mother’s own research.

Nearly two centuries earlier, Tom Russell, a gifted blacksmith and slave, grappled with a terrible choice: arm the uprising spearheaded by members of the fiercely independent African Methodist Episcopal Church or keep his own neck out of the noose and protect the woman he loves.
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Kate’s attempts to discover what drove her mother’s dangerous obsession with Charleston’s tumultuous history are derailed by a horrific massacre in the very same landmark church. In the unimaginable aftermath, Kate discovers a family she never knew existed as the city unites with a powerful message of hope and forgiveness for the world.

A woman on the run from her future runs straight into a past that she hadn’t been expecting. Kate is fleeing the loss of her mother and searching out secrets that were kept from her. However, when she meets a little boy one morning, her world is turned upside down and the secrets kept for so long are about to come unraveled.

Time is a fluid thing and A Tangled Mercy proves this as the story weaves between the past and the present. Written in chapters alternating between present day Charleston, South Carolina and the same city in 1822, a terrible and beautiful story unfolds, bringing the two timelines together. At first, I was so confused, not able to understand how any of it might connect. However, the author is a master at dropping hints and giving clues that you don’t even realize you’ve picked up until it all comes together.

I loved Kate from the very beginning. It’s hard not to like her. She’s smart, she’s sweet, and she’s completely devoted to her family. Losing her mother shakes her world to its foundations and in a way, I think it brings her to herself. Her interactions with Gabe are the sweetest and most fun parts of the story.

Tom Russell’s story is heartbreaking. Unfortunately, this half of the story isn’t anything new or surprising as our history is filled with many such sad tales. However, I hadn’t ever heard about the failed slave revolt that the historical half of this novel focuses around. For me, it was interesting to learn about it in such a first-hand sort of way.

A Tangled Mercy is an informative and enjoyable trip through Charleston, South Carolina. The author paints an amazing picture of both timelines and doesn’t shy away from the less appealing parts of the narrative. The racism and horrors of life are equally represented in both timelines, making it an evocative and haunting story.

Filed Under: Mainstream Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

The Good Liar by Catherine McKenzie

January 24, 2018 By Leave a Comment


The Good Liar by Catherine McKenzie
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Genre: Fiction, Mystery/Suspense, Contemporary
Length: Full Length (405 pgs)
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Reviewed by Stephanotis

Can you hide a secret with the whole world watching?

When an explosion rips apart a Chicago building, the lives of three women are forever altered.

Reduced consumption of high cholesterol foods buy cialis professional such as animal fats, brain, cheese, egg yolk, etc as well as avoidance of the usage of trans fats and high levels of sodium. Description: brand cialis cheap Erectile brokenness is the most well-known male sickness. As per reports, stress is one of the common emotional causes of not being discount price on viagra able to achieve or sustain an erection during sexual performance. Encourage your partner to wake 30 minutes before the usual generic brand viagra wake-up time and give some time for these relations. A year later, Cecily is in mourning. She was supposed to be in the building that day. Instead, she stood on the street and witnessed it going down, with her husband and best friend inside. Kate, now living thousands of miles away, fled the disaster and is hoping that her past won’t catch up with her. And Franny, a young woman in search of her birth mother, watched the horror unfold on the morning news, knowing that the woman she was so desperate to reconnect with was in the building.

Now, despite the marks left by the tragedy, they all seem safe. But as its anniversary dominates the media, the memories of that terrifying morning become dangerous triggers. All these women are guarding important secrets. Just how far will they go to keep them?

The title of this book pulled me in. . . I had a feeling it would be suspenseful, and this one was.

One thing I’ll warn you about straight away is that its narration can be initially jarring. It’s a mix of first person, third person, and interview transcripts. It sort of threw me off at first but the more I read on, the more I understood why the author had chosen this format for the story.

All three women in this story are interesting characters. Cecily is the one you identify with the most because it’s through her first person narration the story begins and mainly continues. Did that make me like her more? I think so and as the story unfolds you realize she’s the real victim in the story but then the author makes you wonder… is she? I won’t give away the ending but let me just say it picked up tempo and intrigue as the tale unfolded. We get a clear picture of what secrets each women is hiding and how the three lives slowly mesh together.

I thought the dialogue was natural sounding and the pacing perfect. The last third of the story really flies by as all lives and backstories begin to merge. It’s also a story that gets you thinking about what you’d do if faced in similar circumstances. Is it ever a good idea to hide things from loved ones or to run away from things we’re not happy about?

It’s a fun read and if you like suspense and secrets in your stories then this is definitely one to check out.

Filed Under: Mainstream Fiction, Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Tips for Living by Renee Shafransky

January 24, 2018 By 3 Comments


Tips for Living by Renee Shafransky
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full length (328 pgs)
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Cholla

On the day Nora discovered that her husband, Hugh, had gotten another woman pregnant, she made a vow: I will come back to life no matter how long it takes…
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It’s taken Nora three years. With the help of her best friend, she fled New York City for a small resort town, snagged a job as the advice columnist for the local paper, and is cautiously letting a new man into her life. But when Hugh and his perfect new family move into a house nearby, Nora backslides. Coping with jealousy, humiliation, and resentment again is as hard as she feared. It’s harder still when Hugh and his wife are shot to death in their home.

If only Nora could account for the night of the murders. Unfortunately, her memories have gone as dark as her fantasies of revenge. But Nora’s not the only one with a reason to kill—and as prime suspect in the crime, she’d better be able to prove it.

Betrayal isn’t an easy thing to put behind you. However, it’s the one thing Nora knows she needs to do. Move on and get over her cheating ex-husband’s treachery. Which, she was doing quite well with for the last three years until he – and his new wife and child – arrive in the quiet little town Nora had settled into. Now what was she going to do? Live and let live or take the bull by the horns?

Nora is a fabulous, complex character. She has her ups and downs and it’s all so relatable. Her anger, jealousy, and bitterness all come from an honest place and not just an outlet for revenge. When you add in the murder of her ex-husband and his new wife, things only get more confused for her. It doesn’t help that she’s been suspected of the double murder and, when she realizes she’s started sleepwalking again, can’t honestly rule herself out either.

Tips for Living is a wild, rollercoaster ride of a story. There are infinite twists and turns that I never saw coming. The author’s relaxed voice only makes it that much easier to devour the novel. I loved the little bits from the paper that were included between chapters, gave the book a homier sort of feel. The large case of characters makes you want to visit this little town for the summer and get to know them all. They also all have their secrets, giving you a wide pool of suspects for the murders. I must say, I never once suspected the actual culprit either. If this debut novel is any indication, the author’s next book out to be even more amazing.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

The Wake Up by Catherine Ryan Hyde

December 14, 2017 By Leave a Comment


The Wake Up by Catherine Ryan Hyde
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Length: Full Length (362 pgs)
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Stephanotis

Something has been asleep in forty-year-old cattle rancher Aiden Delacorte for a long time. It all comes back in a rush during a hunting trip, when he’s suddenly attuned to the animals around him, feeling their pain and fear as if it were his own. But the newfound sensitivity of Aiden’s “wake up” has its price. He can no longer sleepwalk through life, holding everyone at arm’s length. As he struggles to cope with a trait he’s buried since childhood, Aiden falls in love with Gwen, a single mother whose young son bears a burden of his own.

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I’ve never read a Catherine Ryan Hyde book I didn’t thoroughly enjoy, and this one was no exception.

What I like most about this author’s stories is she lets you connect with the characters from page one, you feel for them, you cheer them on, and the lead character, Aiden, made me feel that way. The other characters are just as well created but it’s Aiden that you feel yourself empathizing with the most as he struggles with his new found ‘gift’, that of feeling others pain. Well, not just humans but animals too which isn’t a good thing for a man who’s a cattle rancher.

This story is a page turner and not just because of its plot but it you feel the essential emotional pull that makes you want to read more and read on to see how Aiden’s new life evolves. Another interesting character in this story is Milo, the young son of Aiden’s new love interest. Milo’s got his own issues, his own pain from the past and it’s all brought out beautifully when he and Aiden start to interact and gradually begin the healing process.

The dialogue is wonderful and the pacing spot on for a book of this length. I don’t think I’ve ever read any book by Ms. Hyde that hasn’t left me a bit teary eyed. You might not have experienced the same thing as the characters, but you, like Aiden in this story, can feel what they’re going through which for me is the trademark of a book that lives on in your heart.

This is a story I highly recommend for your winter reading list.

Filed Under: Mainstream Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

When We Were Worthy by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen

November 30, 2017 By 1 Comment


When We Were Worthy by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full length (278 pgs)
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Cholla

A win brought them together, but loss may tear them apart.
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When the sound of sirens cuts through a cool fall night, the small town of Worthy, Georgia, hurtles from triumph to tragedy. Just hours before, they’d watched the Wildcats score a winning touchdown. Now, they’re faced with the deaths of three cheerleaders—their promising lives cut short in a fatal crash. And the boy in the other car—the only one to survive—is believed to be at fault. As rumors begin to fly and accusations spin, allegiances form and long-kept secrets emerge.

At the center of the whirlwind are four women, each grappling with loss, regret, shame, and lies: Marglyn, a grieving mother; Darcy, whose son had been behind the wheel; Ava, a substitute teacher with a scandalous secret; and Leah, a cheerleader who should have been in the car with her friends, but wasn’t. If the truth comes out, will it bring redemption—or will it be their downfall?

Small towns are known for a variety of things. Community. Support. Gossip. Oh, and the secrets. There are always secrets, right? Worthy is no different and when a tragic accident takes the lives of four of their cheerleaders, all that they thought was hidden rises to the surface. It doesn’t take much to become famous – or infamous – in a small town. What is the truth, how did they get here, and will the town ever recover?

Told in alternating points of view, When We Were Worthy, is an emotional roller coaster of a novel. Margalyn’s conflicted feelings over the loss of her daughter and the chance to help another, less fortunate girl, hit me the hardest. As a mother, I can understand her position and why she did what she did. Darcy’s story is probably the most tragic, and in a lot of ways, I can relate to her as well. Who wouldn’t do everything they could to protect their child? Even when that child is guilty, they’re still yours. Ava and Leah are both compelling characters with their own secrets and, although I don’t necessarily relate to them as well as the others, they deserve to be heard and seen and understood.

Through the eyes of four very different women, we see a town in mourning as well as a town with problems like any others. When We Were Worthy is a story of redemption, of forgiveness, and human nature at work. These women aren’t perfect by any means, but they are who they are and, by the end of the novel, they have come full circle, having examined the best and worst in both themselves and the town surrounding them. No one comes out unscathed, but everyone comes out changed. You just have to hope that the change is for the better.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

Working Fire by Emily Bleeker

October 24, 2017 By Leave a Comment


Working Fire by Emily Bleeker
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Genre: Suspense/Mystery, Contemporary
Length: Full Length (308 pgs)
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Stephanotis

Ellie Brown thought she’d finally escaped her stifling hometown of Broadlands, Illinois; med school was supposed to be her ticket out. But when her father has a stroke, she must return home to share his care with her older sister, Amelia, who’s busy with her own family. Working as a paramedic, Ellie’s days are monotonous, driving an ambulance through streets she’d hoped never to see again.

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If there’s one type of plot I love, it’s one about people keeping secrets. Not just keeping them, but a plotline involving the prospect of them coming to light, throwing a family into total dysfunction and putting them in danger.

That’s what drew me to Working Fire. The main character Ellie, now a paramedic, and back in the town she grew up in, is called to a crime scene where it’s her sister Amelia who’s been shot during what looks to be a home invasion.

The story goes back and forth between present day and five weeks before the incident and told from both Ellie and Amelia’s point of view. As the plot progresses the time span gets shorter until both coincide. At first I didn’t like the approach but toward the end of the book I realized it did add to the suspense.

I loved the plotline and the pacing was spot on but what I felt could have been a great book was somewhat spoiled by lots of information dumping by both Ellie and Amelia and dialogue that did somewhat similar things. I felt I would have enjoyed it more had the author relayed the information about their past more slowly.

However, if you’re looking for a fast paced read, and like me, love the secrets from the past plotline, this will be your type of book.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

Everything We Left Behind by Kerry Lonsdale

September 4, 2017 By 1 Comment


Everything We Left Behind by Kerry Lonsdale
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense
Length: Full Length (327 pgs)
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Reviewed by Stephanotis

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Two months before his wedding, financial executive James Donato chased his trade-laundering brother Phil to Mexico, only to be lost at sea and presumed dead. Six and a half years later, he emerges from a dissociative fugue state to find he’s been living in Oaxaca as artist Carlos Dominguez, widower and father of two sons, with his sister-in-law Natalya Hayes, a retired professional surfer, helping to keep his life afloat. But his fiancée, Aimee Tierney, the love of his life, has moved on. She’s married and has a child of her own.

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This story is the sequel to Everything We Keep and I’m glad the author chose to write Aimee and James’ story from his perspective because I’d been fascinated to know what really happened to him.

All is answered in this book. James is now Carlos, a widower with two boys and living in Mexico. As the story unfolds…it’s told in both the present and past as we learn what happened and how he ended up in a fugue state.

Aimee is now married with a child and I thought perhaps the story would focus on their reconnecting but instead it takes different course and the suspense deepens when his brother is released from prison. He was the catalyst for the drama surrounding James’ disappearance and in this book; he’s trouble with a capital T.

I thought this had more of a page turning quality to it than the first one and found myself reading more as I got farther into the book. It’s got a ticking clock quality to it and I found the characters really compelling

I obviously won’t give away the ending but let’s just say these two books have turned me into a die-hard fan of Ms. Lonsdale.

I strongly suggested reading the books in order to appreciate the sweeping and suspenseful story line.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Everything We Keep by Kerry Lonsdale

August 28, 2017 By Leave a Comment


Everything We Keep by Kerry Lonsdale
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense
Length: Full Length (292 pgs)
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Reviewed by Stephanotis

A luminous debut with unexpected twists, Everything We Keep explores the devastation of loss, the euphoria of finding love again, and the pulse-racing repercussions of discovering the truth about the ones we hold dear and the lengths they will go to protect us.

Sous chef Aimee Tierney has the perfect recipe for the perfect life: marry her childhood sweetheart, raise a family, and buy out her parents’ restaurant. But when her fiancé, James Donato, vanishes in a boating accident, her well-baked future is swept out to sea. Instead of walking down the aisle on their wedding day, Aimee is at James’s funeral—a funeral that leaves her more unsettled than at peace.

As Aimee struggles to reconstruct her life, she delves deeper into James’s disappearance. What she uncovers is an ocean of secrets that make her question everything about the life they built together. And just below the surface is a truth that may set Aimee free…or shatter her forever.

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That’s a question that springs to your mind as you delve deeper into the plot of this book.

I loved the opening to this story. No backstory but straight into the main character Aimee’s nightmare. A wedding that turns into a funeral for James whose body was washed up on shore.

The opening had me thinking that maybe this was going to be about love lost, its heartache and maybe Aimee would find love again but I quickly realized this wasn’t all romance and that’s what made the book so enjoyable.

There’s a strong suspense thread in this story and that’s what had me turning the pages. I loved the character of Aimee. From the opening you’re on her side as she tries to not only get on with her life, but put the pieces of James disappearance together.

The pacing is just about perfect and I now have the follow up sequel to read and review and I’m looking forward to it.

If you like a book that makes you think about the people in your own life and love a good suspense, I highly recommend this go on your to read list.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

The End of Temperance Dare by Wendy Webb

July 28, 2017 By Leave a Comment


The End of Temperance Dare by Wendy Webb
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Genre: Mystery/Suspense, Contemporary
Length: Full Length (316 pgs)
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Reviewed by Stephanotis

When Eleanor Harper becomes the director of a renowned artists’ retreat, she knows nothing of Cliffside Manor’s dark past as a tuberculosis sanatorium, a “waiting room for death.” After years of covering murder and violence as a crime reporter, Eleanor hopes that being around artists and writers in this new job will be a peaceful retreat for her as much as for them.

But from her first fog-filled moments on the manor’s grounds, Eleanor is seized by a sense of impending doom and realizes there’s more to the institution than its reputation of being a haven for creativity. After the arrival of the new fellows―including the intriguing, handsome photographer Richard Banks―she begins to suspect that her predecessor chose the group with a dangerous purpose in mind. As the chilling mysteries of Cliffside Manor unravel and the eerie sins of the past are exposed, Eleanor must fight to save the fellows—and herself—from sinister forces.

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I’ll make a confession here…I like gothic novels and I haven’t found one I couldn’t finish but I’ll give credit to this one for making not just like but love the story.

The opening had all the great things that makes me enjoy the genre. The flashback to the past and what seems to be a very creepy little girl. The fog so thick you can’t see where you’re heading and house, or in this case, a previous TB sanatorium, and the heroine’s feeling that something bad is about to happen.

As with all good gothics, this one is told from a first person narration. You sort of feel sorry for Eleanor as she seems to take on more than she can handle when the previous director is found dead in her bed. While I did guess one of the big reveals that happens at the end, I found myself reading faster and turning the pages. I know there’s no set number of pages for chapters but Ms. Webb seems to have found the key to keeping them at just the right amount for what’s happening in the scene. I read the last part of the book in one sitting and was determined to read to the end no matter the time. Yes, that’s the sign of a great story.

The story gets creepier as it progresses and you find yourself throwing all sorts of theories out there as to what’s going on and if it’s going to end well. I’ll just say it does, but hang on to your hats for the finale.

If you, like me, miss the gothic of yesteryear definitely pick up a copy of this one.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,
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