#MMBBR #PictureBooks #Reviews #Roundup

FORTHCOMING PICTURE BOOK RELEASES:



This title will be released on September 27, 2016.

An out of control canine named Puddles disrupts the charmed life of the fat, pampered cat, Fuddles in this charming follow-up to Fuddles and A Very Fuddles Christmas.

Fuddles finds that his perfectly pampered life of luxury comes to a screeching halt when his family buys a new puppy, Puddles. Howling and barking? Incessant licks and ball-fetching? Will Fuddles ever find a way to cope with his new frenemy?

MY REVIEW:
This book is oh so sweet.  My kids and I loved it so much.  We loved watching Fuddle and Puddles learn to get along.  The illustrations are gorgeous and capture the essence of the story so beautifully.  It is so funny how both the Fuddles and Puddles had distinct personalities...it made us laugh out loud a few times.  Then, as a reader, you become witness to an incident that brings them together!!!  The ending is such a delight.  5 stars



This title will be released on September 1, 2016.

For this gingerbread boy, it's eat or be eaten! 

When Shirley bakes herself a gingerbread treat to bring to school, the last thing she expects is for him to leap out of her lunchbox and begin gobbling everything in sight. A wild chase ensues-on foot and by cable car-through iconic San Francisco neighborhoods including the Mission, Chinatown, North Beach, and Fisherman's Wharf. Will Shirley be able to catch the gingerbread boy before he eats up the whole city? Friendship is at the heart of this retelling of the classic folktale. A recipe for (non-magical) gingerbread treats is included.

MY REVIEW:

A fun and different spin on the old classic, The Horribly Hungry Gingerbread Boy: A San Francisco Story, is a delight.   Fun and adventure ensues when the gingerbread man takes off and takes the girl on a wild adventure while he gobbles up all sorts of yummy treats all over town.  Told with heart and creativity this story is a great story about love, friendship and adventure.  So delightful 4.5 stars

This title will be released on October 4, 2016. 

"Bear’s search for himself doesn’t matter so much as the charm of Lavie’s storytelling voice as he narrates it . . . Erlbruch gives the bear big, puzzled-looking eyes and a lovable grin. He lives in a forest made of ornate trees seemingly lifted from vintage engravings, whose delicate lines play off Bear’s dumpy figure. Bear’s encounters with various characters—the Turtle Taxi, the Penultimate Penguin—feature gentle wordplay and Lewis Carroll–like paradoxes . . . Everything is new to Bear, and his discoveries will delight readers."
--Publisher's Weekly, Starred Review

"A joyful trio of language, picture, and wordplay, as accessible and delectable to a child as to an adult."

MY REVIEW:
I am still trying to find the words to describe this book.  It is far different than any other picture books or stories for young children that I have ever read.  It is mix between Alice in Wonderlands absurd characters and Shel Silverstein's poetic prose with a mix of the wonders of The Wizard of Oz....blended into a story that captures the idea of identity and so much more.  It is an intellectual story that is so odd, whimsical and strange that I had to read it more than once.  All this is a delight.  I love how different this story is.  But, I am not sure if children will fully understand this complex, multi-layered story that captured the imagination of young and old.  I enjoyed this story and give it 4 stars.

PICTURE BOOK:



Mr. and Mrs. LeBlanc are thrilled with their little baby Marie. When she first starts making sounds, they anxiously wonder whether her first word will be "Mama" or "Papa." Imagine their surprise when, one day, Marie blurts out something quite unexpected: "Le Croissant." Startled, the parents think they've just imagined it. Then, Marie continues to utter a list of delicious French foods with a flawless accent! Her parents suspect something might be wrong with their culinary-obsessed little girl. She's only happy when shouting about food, but, as her grandfather observes, at least Marie seems to have excellent taste. The parents finally break down and consult a doctor about their daughter's unusual vocabulary. At first, Marie calls the doctor "un homard," or lobster, but once he understands Marie's plight, he decides to do his best to help. After the examination, though, he finds there's nothing wrong with Marie. What does he suggest to remedy her food fixation? A book filled with laughs and love, Marie Is Talking also teaches French words and shows how families work together.


MY REVIEW:

This is a great book to teach kids about introductory French,  in a way that children can understand.  The story is definitely inventive and one of a kind.  It is a sweet and cute story.  I do have to admit, that the illustrates seems were a bit distracting to me, but my son loved them because he wants to write a book and could relate to the drawings. A great story for those who want to learn some basic French terms. 3.5 stars

E-BOOKS:

Kitty takes on the neighborhood bully!

But how does she conquer the big bully?

Meet Kitty, a daring and sweet little girl who won't take anyone talking mean, especially neighborhood bullies who push and shout to make all the kids cry. Everyone around the neighborhood calls the bully a brat and a snot, but not Kitty.

When Kitty finally goes face-to-face with the notorious bully, who boldly declares girls can't do anything they want, she decides to not sink to the bully's level. She doesn't punch or scream and yell, she doesn't even call him names. She uses her wits instead and proves to herself that she and her stuffed buddies can do anything they want.

This wonderfully illustrated story teaches girls to believe in themselves and not to doubt their dreams and wishes no matter what anyone tells them.

MY REVIEW:

Girl power at it's best.  Girls can do anything they want to be...they just need to believe it for themselves.  3.5 stars

"Dream your own dreams, be your own person and image, no matter the extremes."

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Rupert is ready to grow up and choose a career, but is shocked to learn that his parents chose for him. He may not know exactly what he wants to do, but he's positive it doesn't have anything to do with math! Rupert's father and mother are shocked to hear his decision. Rupert packs up and goes on his first lone quest to find out what he wants to do with his life.

He travels from place to place in search of what makes him happy. Rupert meets many new people, sees many new places, and always lends a helping hand along with way to any those who need it. But nothing makes his heart sing. Not until he's far from home does he learn an important lesson: You have to experience life and be true to yourself to be happy.

A picture ebook that shows there's nothing wrong with not knowing what you want to be when you grow up. To truly learn about yourself, you have to experience life. The story of Rupert can teach perseverance, hard-work, positivity, and bravery.

MY REVIEW:

A book about finding your way in the world and some times you don't know right away.  This is a great book about experiencing life and being the good in the world. 3.5 stars

What happens to dogs before they are rescued off the streets?

Follow Mason's story and fall in love with this courageous puppy as he searches for a new home.

Mason's breezy car ride is cut unexpectedly short as his owner decides to abandon him on the side of the road. But right from the start, he never loses heart, determined to find a place he can call home. Root for him as he navigates through the dangerous and adventurous new world in search for a loving home.

Will Mason ever find a new home? Will he have to live on the streets alone?

This picture ebook focuses on tough subjects that are difficult to talk to children about, such as abandonment, homelessness and bullying. A story to remind everyone what it means to have a home and to never stop hoping and dreaming, no matter what age you are.

Let Mason show how to cope with life's difficulties using hope, courage and love.

MY REVIEW:

A book about finding a home after a great loss and disappointment.  This is a great reminder that once you have a pet that you have them for life and should not abandon them.  I think this is an important lesson and creates a lot of taking points.  3.5 stars

What happens when an anteater mixes up "ant" and "aunt"?

A unabashedly goofy children's book created for smiles and giggles.

Hungry and tired of bug bites, Greg the Anteater decides to go to town to find an easy meal. He quickly finds out that there are aunts all around the town! But "aunts" and "ants" are not the same thing, as he quickly finds out.

What will happen to all the town's aunts?

A colorful and cute story that teaches children about homophones and forgiveness... and a little about digestion.

MY REVIEW:

A wonky story that teaches readers the difference between ant and aunt in a silly way.  3.5 stars

Here's a little story, 
about a lonesome troll, 
looking for new territory, 
without a living soul. 

He traveled far and wide, 
from coast to coast, 
becoming more and more untied, 
'til he found something he needed most. 

MY REVIEW:

A very cute rhyming story about a troll finding the place in the world where he felt whole.  It is a sweet story and the illustrations are really cool.  They look like sewn fabric.  What a delight this book is.  The kids in my class are sure to love it.  4 stars.

PREORDER:

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#MMBBR @NGKids #Olympics #Sports #WeirdButTrue #Funny #Reviews #Roundup

Here are some books 

that will get you in the mood 

for the Olympics 

that start tonight with 

the opening ceremony.

Do you love sports? Are you excited for the 2016 Olympic games? Here's an activity book that puts you right at the center of the gold-medal action! Fill in the blanks as you and a friend try your best at gymnastics, synchronized swimming, and much more!

MY REVIEW:

This is such fun!  My kids and I (and hubby and I) had lots of fun filling these out.  Such a great way to spend time together as a family.  Plus, it teaches parts of speech: noun, adjective, adverb, plural, silly word or exclamation and specific words.  It was fun trying to make each other laugh and it was a delight to see the boys figure out the parts of speech. With over 20 funny fill-ins this book is bound to be fun for for the whole family and provide an abundance of laughs.  A must for all lovers of sports and the Olympics.  5 stars


BUY THE BOOK:

Get ready for the Olympics! Everything has its weird side -- even sports! Add wacky stats, facts, and stories to your arsenal of spots trivia with this new slam-dunk addition to the very popular Weird but True series! Discover tons more zany fun, focused totally on the subject of sports! So step up to the plate to get 300 ALL-NEW amazing facts plus photos.

MY REVIEW:

This book is FANTASTIC. I could not stop reading it and both my boys thought is was super cool too! Did you know that there that some elephants in Thailand play basketball or that a woman once rode a hot air balloon 41,300 feet into the air before hang gliding back down?!?!!! So cool right! In this book you will read about 300 wacky, wild, and out of this world weird but true sports from the United States and beyond. This book has all the things that I love about National Geographic...the amazing photos, great tidbits and facts, as well as the well written factfinder located in the back of the book. This book will make you want to cheer on the Olympians going for gold at this years Olympics. 5 stars

BUY THE BOOK:

Become an expert on sports, just in time for the 2016 Olympics! From archery to zip lining this book covers EVERYTHING about the world's favorite team and individual sports. With stunning visuals and energetic, impactful design, readers won't stop until they've learned everything there is to know about the history, rules and regs, training, and practice of dozens of athletic pursuits. Includes popular sports such as baseball, basketball, football, soccer, tennis, and quirkier sports such as fencing, curling, and table tennis.

MY REVIEW:

This may be one of my son's (9 years old) new favorite book. He devoured this book. He was rattling off facts and showing me pictures nonstop since this book arrived. I cannot ever begin to find the right words to capture how completely AWESOME this book really is. I love how it is set up. Respectively, each 2 page spread is a topic, with vibrant photos and facts, of awesome things in each category. There are 4 main topics that are picture packed with various sub topics that will capture the attention and interest of children and adults alike. From Spectacular Sports, to A World of Sports to so much more. This 64 page book is one that will be a hit for a long time in this house. With an extensive table of contents to an index that is also very detailed, you can either read straight though or look up and then look over the topics that interest you the most. This book is sheer perfection and my kids and I LOVE it. I also love this book because it will aid in our love of the Olympics.  Amazing, wonderful and fantastic...5 HUGE stars.

BUY THE BOOK:

#MMBBR #Suspense #Thriller RANDOM ACTS by @JAJance & Sidney Sheldon's RECKLESS by Tilly Bagshawe

RANDOM ACTS by J.A. Jance

An all new novella from New York Times bestselling author J.A. Jance, this story has two of her acclaimed series characters, Joanna Brady and Ali Reynolds, join together to solve a crime that hits close to home in a prequel to her upcoming novel, DOWNFALL.

Sheriff Joanna Brady has a lot on her plate - she is pregnant and up for re-election as sheriff, and her older child is packing up to leave for college. Then Joanna is woken in the middle of the night by a call reporting a motor vehicle accident. One of her detectives reveals that her mother and stepfather’s RV ran off the road at high speed and hit the pillar of an overpass. George died on the scene. Her mother, Eleanor, has been transported to a hospital in Phoenix. Joanna and Butch take off for the hospital, but before they arrive, Eleanor dies during emergency surgery. Their deaths are considered accidental, but the surgeon from the emergency room notes that her mother, in a moment of consciousness, asked him to tell Joanna about a “red dot.” Was this tragedy really an accident, or was it murder? Joanna gets a call from Ali Reynolds (a journalist turned investigator) who heard what happened and offers to help. They come up with a plan to catch the murderer, even if he’s not the killer they'd expected.

 

DOWNFALL by J.A. Jance

The next Joanna Brady mystery from New York Times bestselling author J. A. Jance.

Cochise County Sheriff Joanna Brady has never been busier. Her daughter, Jenny, is heading off to college, her rambunctious five-year-old son is about to start kindergarten, and a new baby is on the way. Joanna is also coping with the emotional aftermath of two unexpected and very recent deaths in the family. The sheriff’s life is about to get even more complicated when a puzzling new case hits her department, demanding every resource she has at her disposal-as well as help from neighboring law enforcement agencies and the Feds.

The bodies of two women have been found at the base of a nearby peak, known to Bisbee locals as Geronimo. Is this a terrible accident, a case of murder/suicide, or a double homicide? As Joanna and her team methodically hunt down answers, they begin to uncover a knotty web of sordid secrets and evil lies-clues that take the valiant sheriff down a winding and dangerous road that leads shockingly close to home . . . and close to a desperate and determined killer.

About J.A. Jance

J. A. Jance is the New York Times bestselling author of the J. P. Beaumont series, the Joanna Brady series, the Ali Reynolds series, and five interrelated thrillers about the Walker Family as well as a volume of poetry. Born in South Dakota and brought up in Bisbee, Arizona, Jance lives with her husband in Seattle, Washington, and Tucson, Arizona.

Sidney Sheldon’s RECKLESS by Tilly Bagshawe

#1 New York Times bestselling author Sidney Sheldon’s most popular and enduring heroine—Tracy Whitney of If Tomorrow Comes and Sidney Sheldon’s Chasing Tomorrow—finds herself caught in a nefarious and far-reaching scheme involving international terrorism and corruption in this compelling thriller packed with heart-stopping twists and breathtaking action.

Once upon a time, Tracy Whitney was one of the best thieves in the business. Then she settled down and had a child-a beautiful, bright, mischievous boy who was the center of her life. Tracy planned to spend the rest of her days quietly, living anonymously deep in the stunning Colorado mountains, devoted to raising her son. But tragedy forces her to face her greatest nightmare. Now, with nothing left to protect, this superb con artist, jewel thief, computer wizard, and cat burglar returns to the hunt, more dangerous, ruthless, and reckless than ever.

An addictive tale of espionage, mystery, passion, greed, betrayal, and vengeance that takes you from the beautiful Rocky Mountains to Europe’s oldest and grandest cities, filled with a cast of intriguing characters both new and familiar, Sidney Sheldon’s Reckless is a glamorous thrill ride that will leave you breathless until its shocking end.

About the authors:

The late novelist and screenwriter Sidney Sheldon remains one of the world’s top bestselling authors, having sold more than 300 million copies of his books. Are You Afraid of the Dark? is his most recent in a long line of huge bestsellers. He is also the only writer to have won an Oscar, a Tony, and an Edgar. The Guinness Book of World Records heralds him as the most translated author in the world.

Tilly Bagshawe is a New York Times bestselling author whose books include Sidney Sheldon’s Chasing Tomorrow,Sidney Sheldon’s The Tides of Memory, Sidney Sheldon’s Angel of the Dark, Sidney Sheldon’s After the Darkness, and Sidney Sheldon’s Mistress of the Game. She lives in LA and London with her husband and children.

#Giveaway #Win both books in the Fairham Island series by @Brenda_Novak #MMBBR

ENTER BELOW:

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ABOUT THE BOOK:The things that happen in families are always surprising and sometimes shocking!

The rich and powerful Josephine Lazarow, matriarch of Fairham Island, is dead. The police say it’s suicide, but Keith, her estranged son, doesn't believe it.

Keith bears scars—both physical and emotional—from his childhood, but he’s worked hard to overcome the past. After walking away from his mother and her controlling ways five years ago, he's built a new life in LA. He's also accumulated a fortune of his own. But as soon as he learns of his mother's death, he returns to Fairham. He feels he owes it to his grandfather to put the family empire together again—and he's determined to find his mother's killer.

Problem is…coming home to Fairham puts him back in contact with Nancy Dellinger, the woman he hurt so badly when he left before. And digging that deep into his mother's final days and hours entails a very real risk.

Because the person who killed her could be someone he loves…

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Did she once have a sister? Has her mother lied all these years? Why? 

After a painful divorce, Maisey Lazarow returns to Fairham, the small island off the South Carolina coast where she grew up. She goes there to heal—and to help her brother, Keith, a deeply troubled man who's asked her to come home. But she refuses to stay in the family house. The last person she wants to see is the wealthy, controlling mother she escaped years ago. 

Instead, she finds herself living next door to someone else she'd prefer to avoid—Rafe Romero, the wild, reckless boy to whom she lost her virginity at sixteen. He's back on the island, and to her surprise, he's raising a young daughter alone. Maisey's still attracted to him, but her heart's too broken to risk… 

Then something even more disturbing happens. She discovers a box of photographs that evoke distant memories of a little girl, a child Keith remembers, too. Maisey believes the girl must've been their sister, but their mother claims there was no sister. 

Maisey's convinced that child existed. So where is she now? 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author has written more than fifty books, with more than four million copies in print. This four-time RITA® Award nominee has won many awards, including the National Readers’ Choice, the Booksellers’ Best, the Book Buyer’s Best, the Daphne, and the Holt Medallion. She also runs an annual online auction for diabetes research every May at www.brendanovak.com (her youngest son has this disease). To date she’s raised $2.7 million.

Praise for The Secret Sister“This emotional novel showcases Novak’s exceptional talent at creating genuine characters and real-life situations we sometimes try to dodge. The power of family is strong, and the element of mystery is stable throughout this romance. Fairham Island is painted as a picturesque seaside town, but the debut to this series could have readers believing there are a lot of buried secrets and stories to be told surrounding the residents’ wishes for peace and quiet. Completely engrossing with a twist at the end you wouldn’t dare dream of!”—RT Book Reviews (4.5 Star Top Pick)

“The Secret Sister is a sweet story that touches on the trials of life and illustrates how death, loss, abuse, despair, and unexpected trials can make us stronger, but also points out that it is perfectly acceptable to find someone to lean on when you really need the help. This is a great book that romance readers and fans of general fiction are bound to enjoy.”—Portland Book Review

“Skillful plotting, well-developed characters (a blind little girl is adorable), a delightful romance, toxic family dynamics, and a puzzling mystery make this story a rewarding read that will appeal to both romance and women’s fiction fans.”—Library Journal

“In her latest, Novak neatly entwines contemporary romance and women’s fiction by delivering the emotionally compelling romance readers expect while at the same time thoughtfully exploring the other relationships every woman has in her life. Add a gothic-tinged plot, and you have a book with wide reader appeal.”— Booklist

“The Secret Sister by Brenda Novak is indeed the best romantic thriller I have read… Brenda Novak has a raw talent for bringing her novels to life. Realistic, suspenseful, and an edge of your seat romance that will have readers coming back for more.”—The San Francisco Book Review

Can't wait to see if you won?  Buy the books below:

#GIVEAWAY #Audiobook Caroline Mickelson @Audible

Caroline Mickelson is generously giving away one of the wonderful audiobooks via Audible to one of my lucky readers!!!

Caroline Mickelson loves her family and loves to write. She also loves a good adventure, among her favorites thus far were attending graduate school in a Scottish castle, riding a camel around the Pyramids in Giza, and taking a best-in-a-lifetime road trip to Graceland. Caroline lives in the American southwest with her husband and their four children, affectionately known as The Miracles.

Here are the books you could chose from... one audiobook is available for giveaway.

With Christmas only three days away, Carol Claus agrees to her father’s request that she leave the North Pole on a mission to help save Christmas. Joining single father Ben Hanson and his children for the holidays seems an easy enough task until Santa informs her that Ben is the man behind the disturbing new book ‘Beyond Bah Humbug: Why Lying to Your Children about Santa Claus is a Bad Idea’. 

Posing as Miss Kane, the children’s new nanny, Carol pulls out all the stops to show Ben how fun Christmas can be, all the while struggling to understand how one man could hate the holidays so much. How could she, Santa’s only daughter, be so attracted to a man who refuses to believe her father exists? 

**Please note - this book was originally titled Carol's Christmas**

When Santa offers efficiency expert Holly Jamison a job at the North Pole, she’s delighted to accept. It’s not that she loves the Christmas holidays. Far from it. Everywhere she looks, from the piles of presents to the thousands of cheery elves hard at work, Holly sees ways to improve the whole operation. Even Nick Claus, Santa's charming son, fails to draw Holly into the holiday spirit. Holly has to admit that Nick’s charismatic and handsome, but his fun-loving side doesn’t mask his lack of a work ethic. It’s only when Holly cancels Nick’s pet project, and jeopardizes Christmas for thousands of children, that she realizes that the man she discounts as a total slacker might be the only one who can teach her about the joy of Christmas.

After years away from the North Pole, Kris Kringle happily accepts her Uncle Santa's offer to move back to Christmas Central as head chef. With her young daughter in tow, Kris returns home with two objectives in mind. Goal number one, bring her love of healthy eating and nutritious fare to the North Pole dining service. Goal number two, recover from heartbreak and forget Kyle Masterson, the man who broke her heart. But when Santa hires Kyle as a new co-chef for the holiday season, Kris suddenly realizes that replacing the elves' beloved sugar cookies with carrots is going to be a piece of cake compared to working alongside her ex-fiancé.

A Christmas Romantic Comedy Short Story:

North Pole engineer Garrett McCree values his peace and quiet above all else, and his life runs according to a carefully crafted master plan. Until, that is, Santa Claus asks Garrett to play chaperone to the winner of the North Pole Prize essay contest. Out of loyalty to Santa, Garrett reluctantly agrees. After all, how much trouble can one woman possibly be? But when beautiful and vivacious Angelique Devereaux, a Christmas-loving, serial gift giver arrives at Christmas Central, Garrett soon realizes the answer to that question. Predictable is out, spontaneous is in, and Garrett’s heart will never be the same. 

With the countdown to Christmas underway, interior designer Jackie Frost is surprised to receive an urgent phone call from Santa Claus requesting her help. Once at the North Pole, Jackie gets swept up into Santa's crazy plan to makeover Christmas Central as a surprise for Mrs. Claus.

Several things test Jackie's devotion to the Claus family as the renovations get underway, not the least of which is having to work alongside master craftsman Dean Bradshaw. Dean is handsome, smart, funny, and he has an absolute gift for building things. But what worries Jackie is what he's taking apart, namely the walls she's built up around her heart. 

Tessa Von Hellengaard is a real witch. Magical spells aside, she’s snarky and selfish, and the other witches in her silent spell coven are fed up with her. Their plan to reform Tessa involves taking away her magic, saddling her with one hundred extra pounds and sending her to a weight loss spa. For good measure they call in Liam Kennedy, a charming and sexy fairy godfather, to teach her some manners.

Desperate to regain her magic and determined to shed the weight, Tessa soon realizes that protecting her heart from Liam will prove to be her greatest challenge. 

Adamantly opposed to commercial whaling, Miranda happily trades her fin for human legs when she’s given the opportunity to work as a maid for a man in charge of public relations for a large Japanese whaling firm. Miranda soon finds out that she loves pedicures, favors bikinis over clamshells, and that she’s a natural disaster when it comes to human housework. There’s so much about the human world she doesn’t understand. Why does Justin Lockheed, her handsome boss, make her heart race and her knees weak? And just what is she supposed to do when it comes time to choose between advancing her cause and destroying his career?

Fiona Cantrell is a woman on a mission. More aptly put, she's a Fairy Godmother on a mission. Her dream of moving to London is about to come true now that all that stands between her and her new job is a few unpacked suitcases. Or so she thinks until her old boss shows up with one more little task for her to complete before she leaves for Europe. Her new assignment involves a handsome cowboy named Cody, his two rascally nephews, and a mountain of laundry...all of which would be no problem for any self-respecting Fairy Godmother. 

While Fiona manages to handle the laundry and the boys, she quickly learns that she's not immune to Cody's considerable charm. It takes everything she's got to stay focused on completing her task so she can head to London. But when tragedy strikes, Fiona realizes that it will take more magic than she has to try to save a life and mend her own broken heart.

Despite the fact that her love life is a disastrous mess, Zoe Watson’s cleaning service, Maid for Love, is enjoying record profits. Her crew handles the removal of household dust and clutter, leaving Zoe free to use her special gift for memory alteration to erase her client’s painful memories. But although she can wipe the slate clean for clients, she’s had far less luck erasing the thoughts of her ex-boyfriend, Michael Archer, from her own heart. 

So when she runs into Michael, and suspects he might remember her after all, she decides the best way to keep her heart safe is to get close enough to him to modify his memory, without breaking her heart. Or getting caught. 

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#MMBBR #FirstLine #Review #InTwentyYears by @aswinn

Twenty years ago, six Penn students shared a house, naively certain that their friendships would endure—until the death of their ringleader and dear friend Bea splintered the group for good. Now, mostly estranged from one another, the remaining five reluctantly gather at that same house on the eve of what would have been Bea’s fortieth birthday.

But along with the return of the friends come old grudges, unrequited feelings, and buried secrets. Catherine, the CEO of a domestic empire, and Owen, a stay-at-home dad, were picture-perfect college sweethearts—but now teeter on the brink of disaster. Lindy, a well-known musician, is pushing middle age in an industry that’s all about youth and slowly self-destructing as she grapples with her own identity. Behind his smile, handsome plastic surgeon Colin harbors the heartbreaking truth about his own history with Bea. And Annie carefully curates her life on Instagram and Facebook, keeping up appearances so she doesn’t have to face the truth about her own empty reality.

Reunited in the place where so many dreams began, and bolstered by the hope of healing, each of them is forced to confront the past.

#FIRSTLINE

Admittedly, it was an overly nostalgic idea. 

http://www.allisonwinn.com

I'm the author of a bunch of novels, including THE THEORY OF OPPOSITES, TIME OF MY LIFE, and my next and sixth novel, IN TWENTY YEARS, which will be released on July 1, 2016.

As an author, I know how brutal reviews can be, so I'll only post about books I've enjoyed. (Just in case you're wondering why all of my reviews are positive!)

I have to say that the first line of this book is a great one: Admittedly, it was an overly nostalgic idea.  This story makes the reader nostalgic throughout.  Many of us wish to go back and change things or long for days past, so this book was one that I could relate to.  I appreciated that the book had several points of view.  I enjoy getting into the minds of each character because it adds such depth to the story.  I love how this story tinkers with what is perceived by others and what is actual truth.  I love that the preconceived notions are whittled away as the truth and past are reveled.  This is a great book club pick and summer/fall read!  4 stars