Monday, January 12, 2015

Book Club Girl: Belong to Me (Love Walked In #2) by Marisa de los Santos


Pick:
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Belong to Me (Love Walked In #2)


Everyone has secrets. Some we keep to protect ourselves, others we keep to protect those we love.

A devoted city dweller, Cornelia Brown surprised no one more than herself when she was gripped by the sudden, inescapable desire to leave urban life behind and head for an idyllic suburb. Though she knows she and her beloved husband, Teo, have made the right move, she approaches her new life with trepidation and struggles to forge friendships in her new home. Cornelia's mettle is quickly tested by judgmental neighbor Piper Truitt. Perfectly manicured, impeccably dressed, and possessing impossible standards, Piper is the embodiment of everything Cornelia feared she would find in suburbia. A saving grace soon appears in the form of Lake. Over a shared love of literature and old movies, Cornelia develops an instant bond with this warm yet elusive woman who has also recently arrived in town, ostensibly to send her perceptive and brilliant son, Dev, to a school for the gifted.
Marisa de los Santos's literary talents shine in the complex interactions she creates between these three women. She deftly explores the life-altering roller coaster of emotions Piper faces as she cares for two households, her own and that of her cancer-stricken best friend, Elizabeth. Skillfully, de los Santos creates an enigmatic and beguiling character in Lake, who draws Cornelia closer even as she harbors a shocking secret. And from the first page until the exhilarating conclusion, de los Santos engages readers with Cornelia, who, while trying to adapt to her new surroundings, must remain true to herself. As their individual stories unfold, the women become entangled in a web of trust, betrayal, love, and loss that challenges them in ways they never imagined, and that ultimately teaches them what it means for one human being to belong to another.


 Tiaras Book Club:  WISCONSIN

1) Piper was a complex character. She was quick to judge other people without really knowing their full story and was very hard to take in the early part of the book. But as the story goes on you get to understand Piper better and get to know why she is the way she is. Have you ever been judged too quickly by another person or did you yourself prejudged a person and later see you were very wrong about them?
2) How would you deal with a HUGE surprise from your partners past coming to light that changes the entire path for your family? Would you fight to make it work or would you not forgive and move on without them?
3) When it comes to love do you follow your heart or do what you feel is expected of you by your friends and neighbors?

Answers from the group!

Emily:

1.  Piper was hard to take and I was honestly very turned off by her, but as the story went on you see that her intentions were in the right place and by the end I was rooting for her to find true happiness and not care what anyone thought!  I used to care what people thought of me when I was younger and then as I grew older I surrounded myself with people who love me for me…the rest can buzz off!!

2.   It would depend on the situation, but there is pretty clear list (that my hubby knows) that are unforgivable acts and the rest I would do what I could to make it work!

3.  Always follow the heart...if you are not truly happy then nothing is ever really worth it!

Sara D:

#1. sadly I judge all the time. Even though it hurts when it happens to me, its just instinct to do. I make assumptions or believe what others say before taking the time to find out for myself.

 #2. I hate surprises so at first I may be upset but would want to talk it through and stand by those I'm committed to.

#3. I will always follow my heart. Life is too short to not do what makes you happy. You will never please everyone around you so please yourself!

Sara L:

#1. When I read the beginning of the book I did not like Piper at all. I remember thinking, "I could never deal with a friend, neighbor etc like that". She does change throughout the book and I was able to like her character by the end of the story. I have been in many situations where I feel I was judged too quickly but as I have grown older I do not let it bother me like I did when I was younger.

#2.  I like to think that I would stand by my husband through any situation. In this particular book, the husband was just as blown away by the surpise from the past as the wife. If it was something the husband had known and "hidden" I think it would be a little bit harder to forgive and accept.

#3. Once again, as I have gotten older I tend to not care as much about what others think of me or what choices I am making as long as I am happy. There was a time in my life where I may have been more influenced by my friends or families expectations.



Anne B:

1. I am usually shy/uncomfortable when first meeting someone new. I'm quiet until I get to know that person better which sometimes makes them think that either I don't care enough to talk to them or I'm too good to talk to that person.

2. I hope I would forgive no matter what surprise comes to light but since I have never been put in that situation, I am not 100% sure on that.

3.  I definitely follow my heart! If it feels good to me, I don't listen to anyone.

Mandy:
1.  I am not one to judge by past or present.  I go with the flow and see what happens.

2.  I am pretty forgiving and tend to try to work things out before I go my seperate way.
3.  Always follow heat.

Sasha:

1)  I use to be extremely shy until I got to know someone better, which caused many people to think i was snobby. Unfortunately in today's society more often then not people are very judgmental, you need to prove your worth knowing. It made me sad to think that others were judging me before really getting to know me. After moving to a new country being shy was no longer an option if I had any hopes of having a social circle.

2)  If there's an extreme betrayal of my trust I struggle being able to put my faith back into that person, if I can't trust them then there's no foundation to build up from. That being said I believe that family is worth fighting and I would do everything in my power to try and repair and damage that was done.

3)  I am one who follows my heart, I find my mind can deceive me and if I over think things it can get complicated. So I trust my heart and see where it leads me.

Monica:

1.  I definitely have been on the receiving end of a quick judgment. I am pretty sure it happened last week and I gotta tell ya it doesn’t feel that great. However, I know I have an opinion about many people I may not know really well. I am not sure if it is a good/bad thing to form a judgment about someone without all the facts.  But, I get older I have learned to trust my instincts a lot more than I used to.

2. I have to say I have been with my husband so long that I had a hard time thinking of a situation that would make me not want to fight for him. Then I thought of something and I still think I could work with anything.

3.  I think I like to think I follow my head. The reality is that I follow my heart because it is what brings the most joy.

Kimberly:


1. I used to catch myself pre-judging quiet/reserved people and thinking that they were stuck up instead of getting to know them and realizing that they were just uncomfortable socializing because they were quite or reserved by nature. Now, I'm not a very judgmental person, but I've been through a lot in my life, and I have the motto that you should not judge a person until you know his/her story.

2. I think that my willingness to forgive would depend on what the HUGE surprise is. If it is something that my partner and I can work through together, I could probably forgive them. I would like to say that I would fight for him, but I haven't been in that situation, so it's hard to say what I would do. It's a lot easier to make an opinion based on a character or another person's experience. When it's your own situation, it's much harder to make the decision yourself.

 3. When it comes to love, I follow my heart, and I am lucky because the love of my life is very well-loved by all of my family and friends. My dad loved him too!  

Sarah:

1. Never prejudge or you miss out on what could be your next best friend.

2.  I will work through anything until there is no sign that is is worth fixing...then I pull myself up and move on!

3.  Head, then heart!


Mrs Mommy Booknerd's Review: 
I really enjoyed BELONG TO ME.  I felt like you were able to view some of the best and worst times through many sets of eyes..each character offering a point of view so very much their own.  I found that I misjudged some of the characters and found that as the book went on I learned to appreciate them for their imperfections and struggles.  Each character faced some amazing highs and some very deep lows, but it was because of friendship, love and choosing your own path (without influence of others) that leads these characters into new, unexpected paths...paths that put them right where they were meant to be.  4 stars



Sunday, January 11, 2015

ROUND UP: Mandy's Romance Corner Reviews




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Perfect (Sami Saxton #3)

SAMI SAXTON ARRIVES ON CHRISTMAS DAY!
DEVIOUSLY PERFECT!

In everybody's life, broken or otherwise, there is a longing to love. Again.

Mandy's Review:  Perfect is the third novel in the Sami Saxton series.  This is by the best book yet in the series.  I absolutely loved it.  Sami and her best friend Drew take a long needed vacation on a cruise ship.  Is love in the air aboard the ship or is there something lurking around the corner.  Douglas is a brilliant writer that knows how to lure his reader in. You can feel the passion he has as a writer.   He keeps you on the edge of your seat trying to figure out the ending.  I feel like I am part of the book when I am reading, everything feels real.  I give it 5 stars.  You have to read this book, it is a must.



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Love Match

When tennis star Harper Reed headed off to a prestigious college on the Philadelphia Main Line, little did she know her life would soon change forever. There, on her first day of classes, the demure virgin meets the gorgeous football star, Wes Wood, a senior from a rich, prominent political family. Wes leads a privileged life, flush with multi-million dollar homes and countless perks, a life Harper has always dreamed of. The rising lawyer promptly becomes Harper's first lover, and the pair engage in an affair filled with glitzy parties, glamorous gifts, and political intrigue. Awed by Wes and his world, Harper is certain Wes is the man of her dreams, but is he? Entirely in her own words, Harper takes you on her sexy, fun, fast-paced, coming of age journey through life in search of true love. Will her journey wind up where it began, with Wes? Or will she fall for another lover she encounters along the way, perhaps the sensual heart surgeon, Dr. Raj Sharma. Harper describes the exotic healer as making her "feel like a woman rather than a girl." Or maybe the irresistible actor, Cam Carpenter, is Harper's love match. Harper becomes "like an animal in heat" when she sweats up next to him at a trendy Manhattan club, and the pair quickly consummate their mutual infatuation. If not Cam, could Harper's tennis pro, the sexy Spaniard, Gabriel Garcia, be her true love? Harper's passion for him is unworldly as she describes, "It was as if Gabriel was the Greek god Eros and he shot his arrow in me inflicting almost unbearable love and sexual desire. I became addicted to him like an illegal drug I couldn't get enough of. Gabriel was so good I would have paid for it." Which of these smoking hot lovers is Harper's true love, her mirror? Will she wind up with Wes and find happiness in his elite world, the world she has always desired? Read Harper's account of her wildly entertaining adventures and find out. The fascinating beauty will instantly captivate you with her remarkable life, straight out of Sex and the City, and leave you yearning for more. 

Mandy's Review:  Love Match is a fun, fast-paced novel about Harper Reed.  We are taken on a wild adventure through the many loves of Harper.  Reggie Thomas does a wonderful job in describing and developing the characters.  There are lots of laughs, heart-break and love.  This book is a great read.  I give it 4 stars.



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30 Seconds

by 
Mandy's Review:  This is a fast-paced, action packed book and a must read.  I love all the twists and turns.  Chris Fey does an awesome job of bringing this story to life.  I give it 4 stars.  

Saturday, January 10, 2015

Highlight Round-Up

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Dr. Mutter's Marvels: A True Tale of Intrigue and Innovation at the Dawn of Modern Medicine

A mesmerizing biography of the brilliant and eccentric medical innovator who revolutionized American surgery and founded the country’s most famous museum of medical oddities

Imagine undergoing an operation without anesthesia performed by a surgeon who refuses to sterilize his tools—or even wash his hands. This was the world of medicine when Thomas Dent Mütter began his trailblazing career as a plastic surgeon in Philadelphia during the middle of the nineteenth century.

Although he died at just forty-eight, Mütter was an audacious medical innovator who pioneered the use of ether as anesthesia, the sterilization of surgical tools, and a compassion-based vision for helping the severely deformed, which clashed spectacularly with the sentiments of his time.

Brilliant, outspoken, and brazenly handsome, Mütter was flamboyant in every aspect of his life. He wore pink silk suits to perform surgery, added an umlaut to his last name just because he could, and amassed an immense collection of medical oddities that would later form the basis of Philadelphia’s Mütter Museum.

Award-winning writer Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz vividly chronicles how Mütter’s efforts helped establish Philadelphia as a global mecca for medical innovation—despite intense resistance from his numerous rivals. (Foremost among them: Charles D. Meigs, an influential obstetrician who loathed Mütter’s "overly" modern medical opinions.) In the narrative spirit of The Devil in the White City, Dr. Mütter’s Marvels interweaves an eye-opening portrait of nineteenth-century medicine with the riveting biography of a man once described as the "P. T. Barnum of the surgery room."
 


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King of Dreams: A Vereldan Tale

Everybody’s on the run: Laurin the dwarf, sent on an improbable errand by a dead king, ends up with an assassin on his tail. Bryn of Bailon, heir to a dark and troubling secret, discovers there’s no escaping the impossible burden that’s about to be placed on his shoulders. And Rhea Redbreast, apprentice Headhunter, makes it onto her own guild’s hit-list when she seeks justice for her parents’ killers.
But the real trouble is just beginning: shipwrecked on the frozen shores of the Ice Wastes, eternal victim Nudd Wiggin stumbles onto an ancient weapon and is turned into something more – and less – than human. As the cruel and devious King of Dunmark unleashes a war that quickly spreads to the neighboring kingdoms, a weaponized Nudd raises terror after terror, driving an immense wave of desperate, battle-hardened Nordsmen south towards the war-torn kingdoms’ borders.
 

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Sceadu

All this while, Matilda’s shadow had been growing larger and larger. Suddenly, it lunged out of the ground and swallowed her, like a python does its unsuspecting prey. 

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Deadly Odds

Bestselling author Allen Wyler (Dead End Deal, Deadly Errors, Dead Ringer, Dead Wrong) is back with a new breakout suspense thriller with a techno edge, Deadly Odds. Twenty-three-year-old Arnold Gold is a Seattle-based odds-maker and local computer genius. Described as a "part-time hacker and full-time virgin" by his friends, the awkward young shut-in flies to Vegas to try and get lucky--in more ways than one. But his high-stakes activity on the Net inadvertently thrusts him into a vortex of international terrorism. His dark net hacking has resulted in murder, and now it will take every last bit of Arnold's genius intellect and legendary hacking skill to stay one step ahead of the murderous terrorists, the FBI, the local cops, and his lawyer. Gold's only chance to save himself is to find the location of a bomb hidden somewhere in Vegas, and somehow prevent the explosion that will turn Sin City into the scene of the deadliest terror attacks since 9/11. Wyler's wild new thriller is as horrifyingly plausible as it is darkly funny and enjoyable. Deadly Odds is not only a page-turner, it's a terrific character-driven story about a young man who lives life through a computer and discovers its dark side. Edgy, twitchy, and filled with enough tech-savvy detail to keep both the techno-thriller and classic suspense fan enthralled, Deadly Odds is a new generation's thrill ride.



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The Olive Tree



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Independently Raising a Man Thoughts from a Single Mother's Perspective


A positive, upbeat, inspirational book that provides support and advice on how to manage life as a single parent.

Life happens. The unexpected happens.



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The Everyday Mom's Guide to Being Fit and Fabulous

Once you embark on the world of motherhood, life as you know it changes completely! Your world becomes extremely busy and it is no longer about just you! You have this (these) wonderful life (lives) that you are now responsible for. As moms, we become so consumed with taking care of everyone that it's easy to turn our back on ourselves and forget how important and necessary it is to set some time aside to take care of us. We also fail to remember that in order to keep our family healthy and strong, we must first be healthy and strong. Make a commitment to yourself to live a healthy lifestyle and join the 60 day healthy living challenge. Here are the ingredients: Start with healthy eating habits, add a dose of sweat, mix a little bit of determination, dedication and commitment - and there you have it!

FAD DIETS CHANGE YOUR WEIGHT BUT WORKING OUT CHANGES YOUR BODY
 






Friday, January 9, 2015

Twin Piques by Tracie Banister - Release Week Blitz & Blurb


My review will come next month!  Such an amazing book!  Make sure to check it out!

Blurb

Forensic accountant Sloane Tobin and kooky pet psychic Willa may have the same face, but that’s the only thing these identical twins have in common.

How she can read the hearts and minds of animals has always been a mystery to Willa, and her rotten luck with men is equally baffling. Although she’s been looking for “The One” for what feels like forever (A teenage marriage to a French mime and dating a guy named Spider seemed like good ideas at the time!), optimistic Willa refuses to give up on love. When she meets Brody, the handsome rose expert hired to save her grandmother’s garden, she’s instantly smitten, but why does he keep sending her mixed signals? Does he return her feelings, or is their attraction all in her fanciful head?

Unlike her twin, Sloane has zero interest in romance. Her passion is her job, where she uses her gift for numbers to take down slimy embezzlers and asset-hiding spouses. When she’s assigned two high profile cases, Sloane feels confident the promotion she’s been angling for is within her grasp. But will her plan to climb the corporate ladder be thwarted by difficult clients, her co-worker-with-benefits, or – most surprisingly of all – her own sister? And how’s she supposed to stay focused on the drama at work when her childhood friend, Gav, moves in next door and the spark between them becomes impossible to ignore?

To get what they both want, can Willa and Sloane band together and rely on each other’s strengths? Or will their differences drive them apart once and for all?

Purchase the book at:

About the Author:
An avid reader and writer, Tracie Banister has been scribbling stories since she was a child, most of them featuring feisty heroines with complicated love lives like her favorite fictional protagonist Scarlett O'Hara. Her work was first seen on the stage of her elementary school, where her 4th grade class performed an original holiday play that she penned. (Like all good divas-in-the-making, she also starred in and tried to direct the production.)
Tracie’s dreams of authorial success were put on the backburner when she reached adulthood and discovered that she needed a "real" job in order to pay her bills. Her career as personal assistant to a local entrepreneur lasted for 12 years. When it ended, she decided to follow her bliss and dedicate herself to writing full-time. Twin Piques is her third Chick Lit release. The pet psychic character in this novel was inspired by Tracie’s rascally rescue dogs. She’d love to know what goes on in their heads!

Connect with the author at:

The Boy Who Couldn't Cry Wolf by Caldric Blackwell

picturebookchildrensbookkindleunlimited

Book Description

 November 19, 2014  3 - 7
Six-year-old Byron Woodward is a werewolf who can’t howl. Determined not to embarrass himself after being chosen to lead a full-moon ceremony, he embarks on a mission to learn how to howl. He learns a lot about howling during his journey, but more importantly, he learns a valuable lesson about believing in himself.



This book is about a boy who tries to learn to howl and cannot...so he seeks advice from those that he thinks can help.  The answer to his problem comes in an unexpected way.  
3 stars



Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Review: Monster & Me Series by Paul Czajak


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It’s time for bed, and Monster needs to go to sleep. But he just keeps finding more things to stay awake for! It isn’t until Monster admits he is afraid of the dark that he finds a glowing solution to his nighttime problem.

In this playful, rhyming story, Monster shows young readers that, with a little help from a friend, the dark isn’t that scary after all.

My Review:
I simply love this monster and when it is time for bed the adventure and imagination carry you off into a slumber!   It is so adorable, fun-filled and amazing!  I am a huge fan and hope to develop some lesson plans around this book!  4.5 stars





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It’s almost Christmastime, and Monster needs a tree. But the holidays are filled with joy and so many fun things to do! After snowballs, sleds, and Santa Claus, will he find a tree in time? In this festive, rhyming story, Monster shows young readers that with a little creativity, a tree can be perfect any way you look at it.

description

My Review:
What is monster up to now?  Well Christmas is coming and monster needs a tree but there is so much fun to be had...will he get the tree in time?  I loved this book and laughed many times.  My kids also loved it and read it over and over again.  They will read this one all year long, as they love Christmas and now they love monster too!  4.5 stars







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Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Blog Tour: New York Dolls by Catherine L. Hensley


Follow the tour HERE





Chapter 1
2008

“THE SHOW’S AT FIFTY-SEVENTH AND Seventh. Here’s your press badge and mini mic. If you see anyone, just be casual, make chit-chat, see what they think of the show. We’ve heard Amber Donovan may be there, but nothing’s confirmed. Just try to blend in, have some drinks. It starts at five thirty. Oh, and remember...you’re Anna Creel.”
Right. My first assignment! I never thought it would involve false aliases and conversational spying for Glitter magazine, but...my first assignment! At New York City’s Fashion Week nonetheless. Something I had absolutely no experience or serious interest in, but I wouldn’t have to worry about that tonight. I’d be Anna Creel. She knows all about the fashion in-crowd. Right?
“Isn’t Anna...?” I started to ask my boss, Liz. “She’s our fashion and beauty editor,” Liz replied. Right. Then why isn’t she...
“We have too many shows booked this week. She already has Malandrino and Posen tonight. She doesn’t have time for Isla Dominici. Just smile and keep your eyes and ears open when you get there. Be yourself!”
“As Anna Creel,” I muttered.
“Right!”
Liz was friendly. Maybe not one hundred percent genuine, but this was Glitter after all. You don’t get to be chief editorial assistant of the country’s biggest and most popular celebrity magazine by being your real self. I’d heard she was a Manhattan import, just like myself, but from some little town in Michigan. She hid it relatively well. No accent, three-inch stilettos, a skin-tight suit dress, and a conspicuously obvious D&G belt can make anyone look like a tried and true New York power woman. But Liz was plumper and didn’t look quite as polished as some of the other reporters, and she spoke with a monotone, to-the-point voice, all of which kept her from entirely fitting the Glitter mold. If I ever needed someone in the office to watch my back, I knew Liz, with our shared outsider origins, could do the job.
Watch my back? At Glitter? I couldn’t believe I was thinking so ruthlessly. But this place was cutthroat. I could tell after only a few days. (I bet the editorial assistant underlings at Martha Stewart Living weren’t so fearful. On second thought...maybe they were.) You didn’t advance at Glitterthrough sheer hard work and determination, and it certainly didn’t involve climbing the traditional corporate ladder. Getting the scoop—or the source—was your most important job function. Even if it meant seducing the married hunk who’s on the number-two-ranked drama on television.
“If something like that were to happen...and of course it does not... We obviously don’t condone that kind of behavior here,” Liz had told the other two EAs and myself after the office gossip broke on my second day. “But that wasn’t me.”
To get to the top of the hottest weekly celeb rag, apparently the rules of deception were the rules of the game. Anna Creel I would be then, for tonight at least.




It’s Fashion Week in New York, and Denton Hodges just got her first big assignment for Glitter magazine. 

Denton’s assignment: Get in the show at the posh Regency Viscount Hotel, and find a story. But a chance encounter with hard-partying starlet Amber Donovan forever changes the course of the night—and Denton’s life. After a night of being chased by the paparazzi, swimming in swag bags, and falling heart over heels for Hollywood hunk Chris West, Denton’s not just on the story. She is the story. 

Suddenly, Denton’s no longer merely a low-level assistant. Amber’s latching on like a BFF from hell, Chris is flirting and cooking her dinner, and as Denton falls for the real people behind the tabloid screen, neither knows about her ties to Glitter. Only Denton holds the secret—or so she thinks. Is Anna Creel, Glitter’s icy beauty editor, on to her? Will Denton be able to write a story exposing her new friends? And is Chris more than just a friend, or did Glitter get the headline right—“Chris and Amber: Hot Nights!”? 

Step into the spotlight, and peek beyond the red carpet in New York Dolls.





Bio:
Catherine L. Hensley is a professional freelance editor and writer. From fiction and nonfiction manuscripts to academic pieces, she provides an extensive range of copyediting, proofreading, content editing, and writing services to a wide variety of clients located around the United States and abroad.

A native of south Louisiana, Catherine received her master of arts degree in creative writing and media studies from New York University and her bachelor of arts degree in English from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, with minors in history and mass communication. Her writing has appeared in The Advocate (Louisiana’s largest newspaper), OT Practice magazine, Quiet Mountain: New Feminist Essays, and Mused, the BellaOnline Literary Review. For more, visit www.catherinehensley.com.


Purchase Links:
Amazon (paperback & Kindle): 

Barnes & Noble (paperback & Nook): barnes and noble 

Books-A-Million (paperback): books a million

48fourteen (paperback & e-book): 48 fourteen

Contact Links:
Twitter: @NYDollsTheNovel
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