Review Round-Up

After Her

by Joyce Maynard

The New York Times bestselling author of Labor Day and The Good Daughters returns with a warm and haunting novel of sisterhood, adolescence, sacrifice, and suspense

"Maynard illuminates the human experience."-People magazine

It's the summer of 1979, and a dry, hot, northern California school vacation stretches ahead for Rachel and her younger sister Patty-the daughters a larger-than-life, irresistibly handsome and chronically unfaithful detective father who loves to make women happy, and the mother whose heart he broke. 

Left to their own devices, the inseparable sisters spend their days studying record jackets, concocting elaborate fantasies about the life of the mysterious neighbor who moves in down the street, and playing dangerous games on the mountain that rises up behind their house.

When young women start showing up dead on the mountain, the girls' father is charged with finding the man responsible, known as The Sunset Strangler. Seeing her father's life slowly unravel when he fails to stop the murders, Rachel embarks on her most dangerous game yet: setting herself up as bait to catch the killer, with consequences that will destroy her father's career and alter the lives of everyone she loves. 

It is not until thirty years later that Rachel, who has never given up hope of vindicating her father, finally smokes out the killer, bringing her back to the territory of her childhood, and uncovering a long-buried family secret. 

As with her novel, Labor Day, Maynard's newest work is part thriller, part love story, Loosely inspired by the Trailside Killer case that terrorized Marin County in the late seventies, her tale delves deep into the alternately thrilling and terrifying landscape of a young girl's first explorations of adult sexuality and the loss of innocence, the bond between sisters-and into a daughter's tender but damaged relationship with her father, and what it is to finally trust a man.

MRS MOMMY BOOKNERD'S REVIEW:
Another capturing tale woven my the master story teller, Joyce Maynard.  Told in a distinct voice that Maynard is known for, you will be pulled into the story. Maynard writes a descriptive story which can read long, but there are always twists and turns that come at unexpected times.  When you read a novel by Maynard you know you will be entertained  and will enjoy the journey she takes you on.

#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*

Yes Mommy: The Mayhem and Madness of Not Saying No

by Amy Sprenger 

What kind of mother doesn’t say no to her kids? One who is clearly angling for the Mother of the Year trophy – or an extended stay in a mental institution. After deciding to eliminate the words no, don’t and stop from her parenting vocabulary for one month, Amy Sprenger documents what life is like with her three young children. Spoiler alert: she’s still alive, so her experiment didn’t actually kill her. It just felt like it might most days.

You’ll cringe when the kids turn feral in Whole Foods, sympathize when Amy hides from them behind the locked bathroom door and question her sanity when she consents to a day as Yes Wife. But throughout, you’ll laugh at Amy’s month of mothering missteps and misadventures. This is what happens when you stop saying no and start saying yes – to everything.

MRS MOMMY BOOKNERD'S REVIEW:
I just finished reading Amy Sprenger's honest, funny and charming book....well it was more like a parenting experiment. You are allowed to follow her on her outrageous and fun experiment with her children! I found Sprenger to be refreshing and heartwarming.  She writes in ways any parent can relate to! Yes Mommy is a book you will think about long after you finish it and will make you reconsider what you say to your child!!!  Another 5 star hit!

#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*

Help for the Haunted: A Novel

by John Searles 

John Searles’s Help for the Haunted is an unforgettable story of a most unusual family, their deep secrets, their harrowing tragedy, and ultimately, a daughter’s discovery of a dark and unexpected mystery.

Sylvie Mason’s parents have an unusual occupation—helping “haunted souls” find peace. After receiving a strange phone call one winter’s night, they leave the house and are later murdered in an old church in a horrifying act of violence.

A year later, Sylvie is living in the care of her older sister, who may be to blame for what happened to their parents. Now, the inquisitive teenager pursues the mystery, moving closer to the knowledge of what occurred that night—and to the truth about her family’s past and the secrets that have haunted them for years.

Capturing the vivid eeriness of Stephen King’s works with the compelling quirkiness of John Irving’s beloved novels, Help for the Haunted is that rare story that brings to life a richly imagined and wholly original world.

#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*

One Hundred Names: A Novel

by Cecelia Ahern

Internationally bestselling author Cecelia Ahern delivers her biggest and most compelling book yet—a tale of secrets, second chances, and the hidden connections that unite our lives

Scandal has derailed journalist Kitty Logan's career, a setback that is soon compounded by an even more devastating loss. Constance, the woman who taught Kitty everything she knew, is dying. At her mentor's bedside, Kitty asks her, "What is the one story you always wanted to write?"

The answer lies in a single sheet of paper buried in Constance's office—a list of one hundred names—with no notes or explanation. But before Kitty can ask her friend, it is too late.

Determined to unlock the mystery and rebuild her own shaky confidence, Kitty throws herself into the investigation, tracking down each of the names on the list and uncovering their connection. Meeting these ordinary people and learning their stories, Kitty begins to piece together an unexpected portrait of Constance's life . . . and starts to understand her own.

MRS MOMMY BOOKNERD'S REVIEW:

A beautiful story about so much more than a mystery needing to be solved, it is one of those books that grabs you as a person and changes you after you read it.  You learn things about yourself in the process...it is a book that speaks to the reader directly through the written word and a moving story. It is a honest, true and sincere story. I am sure any reader can take something away from this novel....5 stars

#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*

Here's Looking at You

by Mhairi McFarlane

The new novel from the bestselling author of You Had Me At Hello. What if the last person you wanted to see was the person you needed? After the runaway success of You Had Me At Hello, Mhairi McFarlane is back with a new cast of characters in her second book, Here's Looking At You. In essence it's an ugly duckling tale. Our heroine Aureliana returns to school after fifteen years for a reunion. School doesn't hold happy memories for her, as being a roly poly Italian (known as the Italian Galleon), and always armed with a Tupperware full of pungent Mediterranean food, she was bullied incessantly throughout her years there. Now in her 30s, Aureliana wants to put the past behind her once and for all and face up to the bullies who made her life hell. But she is much-changed from the girl she once was - all curves and because I'm worth it hair - and no one recognises her when she arrives. Losing her bottle, she backs out on her plan for revenge and slinks off, hoping never to be reminded of her years at school again. But fate gets in the way, and after the reunion her path keeps crossing with James - major hunk and Aureliana's major crush back at school. But alas, as a cronie to the bullies, Aureliana to this day believes that his beautiful exterior hides an ugly interior. As they continue to cross paths a love/hate relationship ensues until eventually something shifts, and they both start to discover what the person underneath is really like...Full of Mhairi's trademark laugh out loud humour, Here's Looking At You is a novel about facing your demons and being happy with who you really are.

MRS MOMMY BOOKNERD'S REVIEW:

McFarlane is a new favorite author of mine!  Such humorous stories with well fleshed out characters that play out like a movie in your mind.  The misadventures are easy to relate to, original and have I said they are FUNNY, because it is laugh out loud funny!   I said the same thing about YOU HAD ME AT HELLO, another great read.  I want these books to become movies!  Loved it...5 stars!

#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*

Breakwater Bay

by Shelley Noble

An abandoned baby, a glorious old Newport mansion, and awakening romance combine in Breakwater Bay, an engaging story that echoes the flair, humor, and emotional depth of Kristin Hannah's popular novels

Preservationist Meri Hollis loves her latest project, restoring one of Newport's forgotten Gilded Age mansions. And with summer approaching, she'll be able to spend more time with her Gran on the Rhode Island shore. She has a great job, a loving family and she's pretty sure her boyfriend is going to propose on her thirtieth birthday.

But everything Meri believes about family, happiness, truth and love is shattered when her family's darkest secret is exposed.

Thirty years before, Meri's neighbor and friend, Alden Corrigan, took his father's dinghy out to fish. In a sudden storm, he rushed to help a woman stranded on the breakwater. She was just a girl . . . a very pregnant girl who disappeared soon after they reached safety-But not before she left behind a very special gift.

Now that the truth it out, life will change for everyone in Breakwater Bay, and Meri and Alden will have to make decisions that could insure their future together . . . or separate them for good.

MRS MOMMY BOOKNERD'S REVIEW:

A book rich in depth and story line, Breakwater Bay is one that will resonate with many readers.  It has a touch a history, a touch of mystery and family drama that creates a story worth reading and one to be remembered.  3.5 stars

#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*

The Hurricane Sisters

by Dorothea Benton Frank 

Filled with her trademark wit, sassy, heartwarming characters, and the steamy Southern atmosphere and beauty of her beloved Carolina Lowcountry, The Hurricane Sisters is New York Times bestselling author Dorothea Benton Frank's enchanting tale of the ties and lies between generations.

Beloved New York Times bestselling author Dorothea Benton Frank once again takes us deep in the heart of the magical Lowcountry--a sultry land of ancient magic, glorious sunsets, and soothing coastal breezes, where three generations of strong women wrestle with the expectations of family while struggling to understand their complicated relationships with each other.

Best friends since the first day of classes at The College of Charleston, Ashley Anne Waters and Mary Beth Smythe, now 23 years old, live in Ashley's parents' beach house rent-free. Ashley is a gallery assistant who aspires to become an artist. Mary Beth, a gifted cook from Tennessee, works for a caterer while searching for a good teaching job. Though they both know what they want out of life, their parents barely support their dreams and worry for their precarious finances.

While they don't make much money, the girls do have a million-dollar view that comes with living in that fabulous house on Sullivans Island. Sipping wine on the porch and watching a blood-red sunset, Ashley and Mary Beth hit on a brilliant and lucrative idea. With a new coat of paint, the first floor would be a perfect place for soirees for paying guests. Knowing her parents would be horrified at the idea of common strangers trampling through their home, Ashley won't tell them. Besides, Clayton and Liz Waters have enough problems of their own.

A successful investment banker, Clayton is too often found in his pied-a-terre in Manhattan--which Liz is sure he uses to have an affair. And when will Ashley and her brother, Ivy, a gay man with a very wealthy and very Asian life partner--ever grow up? Then there is Maisie, Liz's mother, the family matriarch who has just turned eighty, who never lets Liz forget that she's not her perfect dead sister, Juliet.

For these Lowcountry women, an emotional hurricane is about to blow through their lives, wreaking havoc that will test them in unexpected ways, ultimately transforming the bonds they share.

#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*

Ah, motherhood. Butterfly kisses. First steps. Sippy cup missiles aimed directly at your feet. Now, for every mom who's dreamed of a global uprising against goodie bags, or who's gotten caught throwing out her preschooler's latest interpretive finger painting, there is Mommy A to Z -- an alphabetical exploration of the everyday absurdities involved in raising tiny humans. Topics include:

• A is for Art Projects: Or, what to do with that one-eyed "penguin" in your kid's backpack.
• F is for Fashion: How to go from Hot Mama to Baby Mama in 5 easy steps.
• H is for Holidays: Prepare to cash out your 401(k).
• I is for Imaginary Friends: Why they're not weird. Or creepy. Or weird.
• M is for Movies: Or, everything my kid learned about death, she learned from Disney.
• P is for Play Dates: Why they're like blind dating--with apple juice.

Combining personal anecdotes with a dash of sarcasm, plenty of humor, and lots of love, Mommy A to Z is the perfect antidote to grocery-store meltdowns, potty-training showdowns, and birthday-party burnout.

MRS MOMMY BOOKNERD'S REVIEW:

An honest and humorous look at parenting and all its up and downs.  Easy to read and practical in its tips. 3.5 stars

#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*

Children's Books Review Round-Up!!!!

*************************************************************

*************************************************************

Paddington Bear had traveled all the way from Peru when the Brown family first met him in Paddington Station. Since then their lives have never been quite the same.... For ordinary things become quite extraordinary when a bear called Paddington is around.

This sumptuous treasury celebrates Paddington's enduring popularity by bringing together six of his most popular stories:

PaddingtonPaddington at the PalacePaddington at the ZooPaddington in the GardenPaddington and the Marmalade MazePaddington the Artist

My Review:

Brilliant, classic and something to be cherished!  Paddington is what childhoods are built around, reading this treasury was like stepping back into the days of youth.  Watching my children's eye expand and interest peeked when reading this aloud to them was such a gift.  This is a book that needs to be in every child's library and one that would make a perfect baby gift!  5 stars!

*************************************************************

Snakeopedia tells the whole story of these amazing creatures. From the enormous Green Anaconda to the tiny Zootaxa, the book includes hundreds of snakes and all 12 families. You an learn about identifying features, habitats, their dangerous venom, how they can swallow such large prey, and unusual snake behaviours. Along the way, colourful callouts offer tons of cool facts. You can meet pythons that can survive as long as a year between meals, spitting cobras that can squirt venom eight feet away, and even flying snakes, which can sail from branch to branch to catch lizards! From vipers to rattlesnakes, boas to cobras, Discovery Channel Snakeopedia is the ultimate encyclopaedia for snake fans of all ages.

My Review:

Slithery, sneaky and quite frankly fascinating Snakeopedia is a informative, interesting book a all things snakes.  What I loved about this book is the colorful pictures, the easy to read facts and the wide variety of snakes covered.  My boys loved looking at the pictures and reading all the facts.  I will never look at snakes the same way again!  This was a great book to have over the summer on long car rides.  It keeps interest and there is so much to look at and learn time just flies when you are reading it!  4.5 stars!

*************************************************************

Sports Illustrated Kids!!!!

How often do golfers make a hole in one? What are the chances you'll catch a foul ball at a baseball game? How often do Number 1 draft picks become Super Bowl winners? 

This book is the perfect combination of little-known stats, amazing plays, and fun facts. Not only will we address all the burning questions that curious sports fans want to know, this book will highlight some incredible moments and underscore exactly how special those highlight-reel plays are.

My Review:

I just have to say that Sports Illustrated Kids has some of the best books out there for lovers of the game, no matter which game it is that you love.  What Are The Chances?  The Wildest Plays in Sports is jam packed with some of the most amazing plays in history from rare, to really rare, to super rare to nearly impossible to never happened!!!!  Any sports fan is going to eat this book up.  My kids could not get enough of all plays.  They were blown away by the fact and figures and the great and colorful pictures added so much to the reading experience!!!!  5 stars

################################

See how all aspects of football have evolved in this highly visual book filled with history and trivia about the game. You'll see a football transform before your eyes from a melon-like ball crudely stitched together to the aerodynamic pigskin it is today; or watch as a quarterback evolves from a scrawny helmetless player of the 1930s to a hulking play caller of the modern era. 

From rules to equipment to the all-time greats, this book is a journey through the game spanning the years

My Review:

Are you ready for some football??????  Yes, it is that time of year again and I am so pumped up, as are my kids.  Football:  Then to WOW!  is a great book to introduce a child to the game of football.  This book covers it all from the basics, to the players, to the strategy to the fan experience and so much more!!  It takes you on a time line of how the game has evolved over the years!  It is such a perfect book for the coffee table in your sports room or the gathering place of sports fans.  I really loved seeing all the Super Bowl tickets from 1967  to 2014.  You will be amazed in the how much money one ticket was back in the day compared to now!!! I just think this book is AMAZING!!  5 stars! 

*************************************************************

Join Tako on an adventure as he makes a brave choice and proves that heroes come in all shapes and sizes 
When little Ricky Lee finds a puppy on the side of the road, he takes him home and names him Tako. Ricky's parents say that they will allow Tako to stay only if he is a good dog and follows the rules--or it's off to the pound he goes! 
Tako wants more than anything to be a good dog and stay with Ricky, but when greedy Mr. Prichard hatches a plan to put the Lee family's bakery out of business, Tako has to break the rules to protect his new family. Will he be able to spoil Mr. Prichard's plan and be a hero, or will he end up in the pound?

My Review:

A heart warming story about a sad and lonely dog that eventually finds himself a family and becomes a hero.  The illustrations are beautiful and the story original.  As a mother and a teacher, I just loved this book.  There is a lesson of love, compassion and caring wrapped up in the the story that any child or parent would appreciate!!!  5 stars!

*************************************************************

There is a storm brewing on the Flying Dragon, and it's not about the weather. When the crew finds themselves parched and not enough juice to go around, blame falls on Matie the goat, Hallie's friend. Divided, they square off, ready for a fight and Captain No Beard must teach his crew that not only is bullying wrong, they must learn to value and respect each and every member of the crew. Watch the crew of the Flying Dragon learn an important lesson about being a true friend.

My Review:

4.5 stars SERIES REVIEW: An awesome adventure books that my kids and I have read over and over again! Great stories, amazing pictures and a great cast of characters! The books are more than just books...they are hours of fun. After we read one of the books I created a treasure hunt for the kids, with a map and real treasure! Such fun when books becomes more than just books and become bonding moments and amazing memories! 4.5 stars

*************************************************************

Join Whaley on his big adventure in the ocean as he meets Whales of all different sizes. Written by 5 year old Alexander Luke and presented by his grandmother, award-winning children's author Carole P. Roman, this oceanic adventure of whale sized proportions will teach youngsters about the different whales that live in the oceans.

My Review:

Charming and adorable, this story was written in story form, but is filled with amazing facts about whales.  An adventure in friendship and facts Whaley's Big Adventure is one worth checking out!  4 stars

*************************************************************

Mandy's Review Round-Up!!!

**********************************

Old Blue Line by J.A. Jance

About the book....

Butch Dixon has been taken for a ride …

Not a jump in the car, see the sights kind of ride. He's been taken for everything he has. He's lost his house, his restaurant business, his savings, his car, his best friend, his faith—all to his conniving ex-wife. But that was seven years ago. He picked himself up, left Chicago, and started over in Peoria, Arizona, running the Roundhouse Bar and Grill. He doesn't look back on those bad years; there's no point. Not until two curious cops show up at the Roundhouse.

Faith, Butch's ex-wife, has been murdered, and the evidence points to him. Stunned, Butch quickly realizes that the black-hearted woman is going to ruin him again, from her grave. Lucky for Butch, the Old Blue Line, a group of retired—but still sharp and tenacious—former legal and law enforcement coots, have taken it upon themselves, as a favor, to make sure he doesn't cross that thin line. After the dust settles, Butch's life is again upended—when a little red-haired ball of fire, Sheriff Joanna Brady, takes a seat at his bar.

Mandy's Review:

Old Blue Line is a story about Butch Dixon and how is life is turned upside down upon the death of his ex-wife.  The twists and turns in this story kept me in till the very end of the story.  It was a fast read but a good one.  I give it 4 stars.

**********************************

Scared Scriptless by Alison Sweeny

About the book....

Maddy Carson is a mass of contradictions. She loves her job as Script Supervisor on a hit TV show, but hates "Hollywood." Super-organized and down-to-earth, Maddy is clearly one of the best at her job, and her strict dating rule - "No Actors!" - helps her keep focused on her career. However, a budding relationship with Craig, one of the executives at her company, may even propel her into the big leagues. Could Wolf County, her beloved hometown in the mountains, be saved from a financial crisis by creating a reality show featuring the eccentrics in the small ski village? Maddy is determined to try, even when she learns that Craig's agenda doesn't exactly line up with her altruistic goal. 


Meanwhile, Maddy still has a full-time job to manage, her family to deal with, and a gorgeous new actor, Adam Devin, determined to wear down her resistance. Eventually Maddy must learn to break all her self-imposed rules and simply follow her heart.


Scared Scriptless offers an engagingly relatable heroine, laugh-out-loud humor, and a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at how television is made.

Mandy's review:

A good book to read.  Alison Sweeny does a wonderful job of telling the story and making the reader feel as if they are part of the story.  I was well entertained and the book moved along a good pace.  I give it 3 stars.

**********************************

City of Whores by Mark B Perry 

About the book....

New Year's Eve, 1951. Hollywood, California. As Tinseltown rings in the twilight of its Golden Age, a young man arrives from Texas hell-bent on exploiting his brooding good-looks in exchange for a shot at stardom--only to become dangerously entangled in the lives of one of the most powerful couples in show business. As his dream devolves into a lurid nightmare, he must choose between fortune and fame or sanity and survival. For more information, please visit the book's website www.cityofwhores.com.

"Subtly powerful…a Truman Capote-like piece…deeply affecting and tinged with pathos…" - Kirkus Reviews 

"A delicious debut novel. Perry weaves his small town hero Dexter Gaines through 1950s Hollywood, featuring guest appearances by Tallulah Bankhead, Rock Hudson, Judy Garland, and many others. Sexy, dishy, and filled with duplicity, sometimes Hollywood endings don't turn out exactly the way you'd expect. Pour yourself a champagne cocktail and enjoy." - Ann Hamilton, author of Expecting 

"…a page-turner with a big heart. It's irresistible." - Bill Barol, author of Thanks For Killing Me 

City of Whores is the debut novel from Mark B. Perry, Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning writer-producer of such series as Revenge, Brothers & Sisters, Pasadena, Party of Five, Law & Order, Picket Fences, Northern Exposure, and The Wonder Years.

Mandy's Review: 

In his debut novel Mark Perry brings 1950s Hollywood to life for his readers.  We watch Dexter Gaines work his way through Hollywood and what unravels is just captivating.  This book is a great debut novel and a must read.  I give it 4 stars.

**********************************

GIVEAWAY!!! The Undertaking of Tess by New York Times bestselling author Lesley Kagen (with an interview).

********************************************************

********************************************************

GIVEAWAY!!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

********************************************************

Q. Tell us a bit about your new e-novella, The Undertaking of Tess. 

A. During the summer of 1959, ten-year-old Theresa “Tessie” Finley has her work cut out

for her.  Not only is she attempting to come to grips with the devastating loss and guilt

she feels after she witnessed her father’s drowning, her kid sister, Birdie, refuses to

believe that their beloved Daddy is really gone.  Tessie needs to convince her before their

Mom gets wind of how much “weirder” her sister’s getting.  Stronger, and

​more down to Earth than ethereal Birdie, she’s always watched over her sister, so it’s

​only natural for her to come up with a plan that she jots down on one of her never-ending

​TO-DO lists.  If Tessie can’t achieve her goals, she’s desperately worried that the

​beautiful, but self-occupied Louise, might send emotionally fragile Birdie to the County

​insane asylum.  But despite her resourcefulness and grit, she’s smart enough to know

that the odds are stacked against her and her time is running out.

Q. This is your first novella. How did you like writing it as opposed to a full-length novel? And what factored into your decision to do so?

A.  I absolutely had first-time jitters when I decided to give a novella a try, but my desire to

share more of the Finley sisters’ childhood than I could include in the novel that’s coming out in October—The Resurrection of Tess Blessing—helped overcome the fear.  I really wanted readers to know more about what brought Tess and Birdie to this point in their relationship.  What circumstances helped form them.

Q. What inspired the setting?​

A. I wrote the novel first, so the setting—the same kind of blue-collar neighborhood I grew up in during the Fifties—had already been determined.  

Q. Describe Tessie in 5 words.



A. Resourceful, funny, protective, edgy, and heartbroken.

Q. Tessie is a complex character. Was it difficult to flesh her out?

A. I’m lucky like that.  I don’t usually find it too difficult to get to the bones of my characters because they come to me fairly fully formed.  Especially since many of them are children, who wear their hearts on their sleeves.  Louise Finley, Birdie and Tessie’s mother, was a bit tougher. When readers first meet her, they may find that narcissistic Louise is the character they’ll love to hate, but maybe, as her story continues in the novel, they’ll discover the same way I did that Louise had a tough row to hoe too.  Or as Tessie might put it, “Louise had a tough road to hope too.”

A. One of the things I like best about your books is that you write about very serious subjects, but somehow manage to make them entertaining and inspirational.

Q. Thank you.  All of us face enormous challenges, and it’s important to me to reach out to readers and let them know that while it may feel so at times, they’re not alone in their struggles.  No matter what profound losses life hands us, I believe it’s important to laugh when we can, to allow ourselves to hope for a better day, and to always remember that while love may not conquer all, it does a pretty damn good job of shoring us all up.

********************************************************

Kagen does it again!!!! The Undertaking of Tess is a brilliant and haunting tale of the Finley sisters and their quest to maneuver through their unpredictable world, a world plagued by loss, guilt and in the end growth. Tessie's has her trusty to-do list and she is determined to keep her sister safe and face all the challenges that come her way. With Kagen's keen observation of the spirit of youth, brilliant dialogue and well placed humor The Undertaking of Tess is another 5 star HIT!!! A must read and a PERFECT book club pick. I cannot wait for The Resurrection of Tess Blessing, which is the upcoming novel and companion to The Undertaking of Tess.

********************************************************

Lesley Kagen is an award-winning, New York Times bestselling author, mother, grandmother, actress, voice-over talent, and former restaurateur.  The e-novella, The Undertaking of Tess, will be released at the end of July.

********************************************************

BUY IT NOW!!!!!

Blog Tour: AFTER I DO BY TAYLOR JENKINS REID

****************************************************************



****************************************************************

About the book:

When Lauren and Ryan’s marriage reaches the breaking point, they come up with an unconventional plan. They decide to take a year off in the hopes of finding a way to fall in love again. One year apart, and only one rule: they cannot contact each other. Aside from that, anything goes.

Lauren embarks on a journey of self-discovery, quickly finding that her friends and family have their own ideas about the meaning of marriage. These influences, as well as her own healing process and the challenges of living apart from Ryan, begin to change Lauren’s ideas about monogamy and marriage. She starts to question: When you can have romance without loyalty and commitment without marriage, when love and lust are no longer tied together, what do you value? What are you willing to fight for?

This is a love story about what happens when the love fades. It’s about staying in love, seizing love, forsaking love, and committing to love with everything you’ve got. And above all, After I Do is the story of a couple caught up in an old game—and searching for a new road to happily ever after.

****************************************************************

Taylor Jenkins Reid creates a story that is honest, has brilliant dialogues and captures the harshness that comes, after I do. It is a story of the slow disintegration of a marriage and the steps some takes to determine the right path. It cuts to the quick, examines the decisions we make to try to negotiate through marriage, love and life. It is heart-breaking and hopeful and a read you find hard to put down. The characters are parts of you, you relate to the snuggles, triumphs and ultimately are drawn so deeply inside the story that you are invested to the end. Another brilliant hit! 5 stars

****************************************************************

Praise for the book:

“Moving, gorgeous and, at times, heart-wrenching. Taylor Jenkins Reid writes with wit and true emotion that you can feel. Read it, savor it, share it.” – Sarah Jio, New York Times bestselling author of The Violets of March

****************************************************************

Buy the book

Amazon Paperback:

Amazon Kindle:

****************************************************************

About the author:

Taylor Jenkins Reid is an author and essayist from Acton, Massachusetts. She graduated from Emerson College with a degree in Media Studies. Her first novel, Forever, Interrupted, was named one of the “11 Debuts We Love” by Kirkus Reviews. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Alex, and her dog, Rabbit. Her forthcoming novel, After I Do, will be published July 1, 2014.

Connect with the author:

• Facebook: http://on.fb.me/QCF5T8
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/tjenkinsreid
• Website: http://www.taylorjenkinsreid.com/
• Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1uZBWfi

****************************************************************

When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

It happened so gradually that it's hard to pinpoint exactly when. But I do remember that after I'd written some personal essays, I decided that I wanted to try to write fiction. I intended to write a short story but that short story became a novel. That was a big turning point for me. 

How did you feel when you heard you were going to be published for the first time?

Words may never express the excitement but I will try: My agent emailed me on a Friday to say that early next week I would get a call from the woman that is now my editor. The implication being that if all went well, I'd probably get a book deal. I spent that entire weekend with so much energy that I could have run three marathons. I couldn't eat. I couldn't sleep. It was as if there was so much joy in me, I was about to capsize. Luckily, I have learned the art of calming down since then. But sometimes, I still have to pinch myself.

If you could be any animal, what would you be?

A dog! A million times a dog. If you're a dog with nice owners, you spend your day sleeping, eating, playing, and snuggling. I can't think of anything better. And I've noticed dogs seem to have a better perspective on life than the rest of us. 

Is there a movie or book you would love to live in or visit?

What a good question! If I could live inside Baz Lurhman's The Great Gatsby, I might die of sensory overload but what a great way to go. Or maybe I should choose to live in The Hundred Ace Wood from Winnie the Pooh. That seems beautifully peaceful and highly entertaining.

What three things can you not live without?

If we're counting people and pets, then I'm going with my husband and two dogs. But for inanimate objects, I'd say the Beverly Hills Public Library, my Roku box, and iced tea.

What are your thoughts on e-books verses hard copies??

I love all of it! There's no wrong way to read a book.

****************************************************************