Showcase: Doubting Abbey by Samantha Tonge

ABOUT THE BOOK: Pizza waitress, Gemma, must pass herself off as aristocratic Abbey Croxley for two weeks, in order to help struggling Applebridge Hall win the reality show Million Dollar Mansion. With the right clothes and accent, anyone could pull that off, right? Except that she wasn't counting on arrogant Lord Edward pulling her heartstrings - nor a most unexpected person unravelling her web of lies... Will the truth be revealed before the show's final and destroy Applebridge Hall's future, along with a secret romance?

Samantha Tonge lives in Cheshire, England, with her lovely family and two cats. When not writing, she spends the day telling herself to go swimming and willing cakes to rise. She has sold over 80 short stories to women’s magazines and is thrilled with the release of Doubting Abbey, her debut novel, published by CarinaUK Harlequin

Website: http://samanthatonge.co.uk/

Novel: http://doubtingabbey.blogspot.co.uk/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SamanthaTongeAuthor

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/SamTongeWriter

Q.  What inspires your writing?

A.  For short stories it is everyday occurrences, often humorous ones. But for novels it tends to be something that is grabbing the public imagination, like Downton Abbey or the cult of celebrity or the modern obsession with appearance...

Q.  What is your favorite thing about being a writer?

A.  Getting feedback from readers who have enjoyed or been moved by my writing. I sell regularly to the People’s Friend magazine and sometimes meet the readers on their Facebook page – the occasional lovely comment from one, after they’ve read a story of mine, means an awful lot.

Q.  What is the toughest part of being a writer?

A.  Unpublished, it is the rejection and continual self-doubt. Published, it is the amount of promotion necessary nowadays – not that I’m complaining! But it does eat into writing time.

Q.  If you could not be writer, what would you do/be?

A. I’ve a degree in French and German, so perhaps a translator. I love cats, though, and have a secret dream of either fostering abandoned kitties or running a cattery!

Q.  What would the story of your life be entitled?

A.‘You Got Mail’ because I am obsessed with checking my inbox!

Q.  What is your favorite book of all time?

A.  The whole of the Sophie Kinsella Shopoholic series! (I know, that is a bit

greedy). They are so easy to read, such fun and I love the main character.

Q.  Which character from ANY book are you most like?

A.  At the moment I am reading the 3rd Bridget Jones book, and whilst my lovely husband is thankfully still alive, and I don’t have a toyboy, she and I are a similar age and I can relate to things she says about children and technology.

Q.  What character from all of your books are you most like?

A. I think Gemma from Doubting Abbey – I can be impulsive and then regret things I have said/done!

Q.  Which book would you love to take a weekend vacation inside of?

A. It would have to be Pride and Prejudice, so that I could dance with Mr Darcy and beat Elizabeth to tapping his soft centre!

Q.  What is your favorite season?

A.  I am not a huge fun of really hot weather – it would have to be autumn. I love the orange/red autumn colours and dark nights. Plus, as a parent, I always enjoy the run-up to Christmas with Halloween and Bonfire Night.

Q.  What inspired your book cover(s)?  Or what is your favorite book cover and why?

A.I love the book cover to Doubting Abbey! CarinaUK produced it and it’s lovely and Christmassy, as is the end of the novel. Plus Applebridge Hall is exactly how I imagined it!

Q.  Tell me something funny that happened while on a book tour or while promoting your book.

A. The funniest thing so far is my family’s faces when I try to convince them that me going on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest is actually work (

Q.  Are you working on something new?

A.  I am thinking of writing a sequel to Doubting Abbey, which is very exciting!

Q.  Anything you want to say to followers of this blog or those that are just stopping by?

A.  Thank you so much for reading my interview – why not pop onto Facebook or Twitter and say hello? And if you enjoy Downton Abbey or reality shows, you are bound to love Doubting Abbey. If you do read it, I hope you enjoy the book as much as I enjoyed writing it! Thank you xx

CLP Blog Tour with GIVEAWAY: Won't Last Long by Heidi Joy Tretheway

 

FOLLOW THE TOUR and ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE

Author bio: 

Heidi Joy lives in Happy Valley off Sunnyside Road. She swears she did not make that up.

Heidi’s obsessed with storytelling. Her career includes marketing, journalism, and a delicious few years as a food columnist. Media passes took her backstage with several rock bands, where she learned that sometimes a wardrobe malfunction is exactly what the rock star intends.

You’ll most often find Heidi Joy with her husband and two small kids cooking, fishing, exploring the Northwest, and building epic forts in their living room.

She loves to hear from readers via messages at facebook.com/author.heidi.

Find Heidi here:

·         Website: heidijoytretheway.com

·         Facebook.com/author.heidi

·         Amazon.com/author/heidi

·         Goodreads.com/heidi.tretheway

·         Twitter.com/heiditretheway

Hi and thanks for featuring Won’t Last Long, a chick lit/contemporary romance book set in Seattle. My book asks whether two people who are totally wrong for each other can ever be right.

I thought you’d want to hear a little more about some of the real places that inspired me (and a few things I wish were real).

The book is set largely in Seattle’s Wallingford neighborhood, which is known for its tangled streets and classic Craftsman-style houses. In Won’t Last Long, Melina, the main character, rents an apartment in a Craftsman home’s carriage house. Over the course of the story, Melina invests herself in cleaning up the property that’s fallen into disrepair.

This element of the story was a vivid part of my life in my mid-twenties, when I purchased a 100-year-old house and spent every spare minute (and dollar) fixing it up. But home improvement is gratifying, humbling work, and if there’s one thing my main character needed, it was humbling! Melina kicks off the book as a driven, calculating ice queen, but events in the book force her to tear down these walls.

The view from my office during eight years of working in Seattle’s second-tallest building inspired another key setting: Joshua’s apartment in downtown Seattle. The city lights and view of the Puget Sound are stunning, but the most arresting perspective for me was the wonder of being above the fog.

One of my favorite scenes in the book is Joshua and Melina’s walk on the beach. When Melina bends down to pet Joshua’s huge, shaggy mutt, the dog instantly takes advantage of the situation and licks her in the mouth. Melina sputters in disgust—exactly as I did when a chocolate lab licked me in the mouth on my second date with a guy. Lucky for me, my husband’s chocolate lab has settled down in the past nine years (but I never let him forget that Mia kissed me first!).

Other settings in the book, including the Sea Shack, Next restaurant and Frank’s Family Fun Center, are inspired by real Seattle places. I wish I could say the same for a pepper-themed restaurant that celebrates spiciness in a host of world cuisines (it even has a wall of hot sauces). That restaurant is pulled entirely from my imagination, although if you’ve heard of a restaurant like this, please let me know—I’m dying to try it!

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Can two people who are totally wrong for each other ever be right? 

She's a feisty, sly marketing exec intent on hiding her small-town roots. He’s a laid-back engineer with a shaggy mutt and a pushy ex. 

When Joshua asks Melina out, she asks what kind of car he drives. She’ll do drinks, not dinner. She’s always in control. But with Joshua’s easy confidence and sharp wit, Melina is soon breaking the dating rules she made for herself.

Opposites attract—but friends think Melina and Joshua can’t possibly last. When crisis throws their world off its axis, Melina must confront her childhood family, the people she’s come to care about, and the destruction of her pristine image.

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Setup: After a rough breakup, Joshua has just moved into a new Seattle apartment with his dog Aussie. He’s invited his friends Mark and Stephanie over for dinner. They have plenty of opinions about who Joshua should date next, but one girl has his attention—the woman he met at the party thrown by his neighbors Juan and Eric a few weeks ago.

“That’s it, don’t feed me another bite. I’m stuffed.” Mark pushed back from Joshua’s cramped dining table and held his stomach, grinning widely. “The best thing about when you were sleeping on our couch was when you were awake in our kitchen.”

Joshua swallowed another gulp of wine, poured from the third bottle they’d opened that night, and surveyed the wreckage on the table.

Every morsel was gone, his friends were well-fed and happy, and Joshua’s home felt alive and cozy, nothing like a sterile catalog page. Aussie snored in front of Joshua’s fireplace, virtually the only open space since the dining table had been extended into the living room to accommodate Mark, Stephanie, Juan, Eric and Joshua.

Juan jumped up from the table. “I know you said to just bring booze, but I also brought some dessert.” He opened Joshua’s freezer and pulled out plastic-wrapped disks shaped like hockey pucks.

“Ice cream sandwiches.” He tossed each person the homemade chocolate chip cookies filled with vanilla ice cream. “They’re better than the kind from the store.”

“He’s more Martha than Martha,” Eric said, giving his roommate a gentle shove. “My ex would have hoped Juan would rub off on me, but I am just not meant to be domestic. I’m an artist.” Eric made a goofy face to show he was not taking himself too seriously.

“So are you single?” Stephanie pried. “Are you dating?”

“I’m, uh, between boyfriends at the moment,” Eric admitted. “My ex moved to Boston about a year ago. I’ve been going out more lately, but I haven’t found anyone worth seeing regularly.” He picked up the last wine bottle and poured a trickle into each of the five glasses to finish it off.

“I keep trying to find him a boyfriend so he’ll leave me and Tina in peace,” Juan said. “She’s in Vancouver getting her master’s, so weekends are our only quality time, if you know what I mean.”

“What about you, Joshua?” Eric asked. “With this place, you’ll be getting plenty of dates.”

“I’m looking,” Joshua answered slowly. “I’m just starting to get what it feels like to be single again, so I’m not trying to rush into anything.” He explained briefly about his split from Crystal, whom he’d met in high school and dated on and off through college.

“Joshua can afford to be picky,” Stephanie said protectively. “The last thing he needs is another pushy girl trying to fit him into her life, rather than appreciating him for who he is.”

“Let’s not get carried away,” Mark cut in. “Maybe what Joshua needs is a fun date—someone who isn’t all serious. Someone hot,” he wiggled his eyebrows at his wife, “and who cares if she’s not the type to bring home to mother? It doesn’t matter if it won’t last long; he’s not trying to get married right now.”

“You want hot? You should go out with that girl Melina,” Juan said. “She’s smokin’.”

“Who’s that?” Mark asked.

“Josh talked to her at the party. Those legs. She works with Eric.” Joshua and Mark exchanged looks over the legs comment.

Eric volunteered a few details. The youngest senior account executive in the company, Melina was known for her killer instinct. Eric liked working with her—usually—because although she was often critical, she never criticized his work unless she could suggest how to improve it.

“You could call her. I’ll give you her number,” Eric offered.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Stephanie frowned. “She seemed really pushy. She strolled into your party like she owned the place, like you threw it in her honor, Eric.”

Eric smiled. “That’s just part of Melina’s shtick. She does it everywhere. I’ve never seen anyone who could so thoroughly own a room. That’s why she’s so successful—she’s totally cultivated the ice queen persona and it works for her. But she’s smart and she’s hot and I think she’s single, so why not go out and have some fun?”

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BUY THE BOOK:

Review and Tour: The Christmas Owl by Angela Muse

About the Book

Title: The Christmas Owl Author: Angela Muse Illustrator: Helen H. Wu Publication Date: November, 2013 Publisher: Independent - 4eyesbooks Number of pages: 36 Recommended age: 3+  

Summary

A Barred owl becomes injured and must ask others for help. He promises to give back to those who have a generous heart and he is true to his word. Also check out Lil Glimmer, The Nutt Family: An Acorny Adventure, The Pig Princess, The Bee Bully, Eager Eaglets: Birds of Play, Cactus Charlie, Suzy Snowflake and Monsters Have Mommies by this author.

 

Book Trailer

 

I adored this 5 star book.  It is a great story about the wonderful things that can happen when you help out others, who would be unlikely friends under different circumstances.  The owl encounters a rabbit, a bat, a mouse and a duck creating a lifelong friendships that started with helping a stranger in need.   I think this is a heart warming tale and one that will resonate over the holidays and any other time of year. A must read!

Purchase
** You can download a copy of "The Christmas Owl" for only 99 cents from NOW through to November 14, 2013 on Amazon!! **

 

About the Author: Angela Muse

Angela Muse: I was born in California to a military family. This meant that I was the "new kid" in school every couple of years. It was hard always trying to make new friends, but I discovered I had a knack for writing. I began writing poetry in high school and really enjoyed expressing myself by using pen and paper. After becoming a Mom in 2003, I continued my storytelling to my own children. In 2009 I wrote and published my first children's book aimed at toddlers. In 2012 I am set to release several more children's books. Check out what I'm working on by visiting my children's book blog. Writing is such a wonderful creative process and I look forward to sharing more of my stories with lots of new little readers!

Website | Facebook | Twitter

 

* $50 Book Blast Giveaway *

Prize: $50 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal cash (winner's choice) Contest runs: November 12 to December 11, 11:59 pm, 2013 Open: Internationally How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below. Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author, Angela Muse and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions - feel free to send and email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour/Giveaway: Hijack in Abstract by Larissa Reinhart

Follow the tour and enter the giveaway here

Cherry Tucker’s love life has shifted into neutral. And her siblings, Grandpa, and sort-of-ex-husband have flipped her personal life to greasy side up. But life in Halo, Georgia, isn’t all bad for the sassy, Southern artist. Her career has pushed into full throttle. A classical series sold. A portrait commissioned. Then Uncle Will, Forks County Sheriff, calls in a favor to have Cherry draw a composite sketch of a hijacker. Suddenly, life takes a hairpin when the composite leads to a related murder, her local card sharking buddy Max Avtaikin becomes bear bait, and her Amazonian nemesis labels the classical series “pervert art,” causing Cherry to be shunned by the town. 

Cherry’s jamming gears between trailer parks, Atlanta mansions, and trucker bars searching for the hijacker who left a widow and orphan destitute and Max Avtaikin in legal jeopardy. While she seeks to help the misfortunate and save her local reputation, Cherry’s hammer down attitude has her facing the headlights of an oncoming killer, ready to grind her gears for good.

Thanks for having me on today! I’m a Mrs. Mommy Booknerd as well. If you ever decide to relinquish that title, I’ll wear it gladly!

Q.   What inspires your writing?

Encouragement from readers really does. I get a lot of Facebook and email messages from readers, worried about Cherry or excited about her misadventures. I also get a lot of goat photos. I love it. Otherwise, I’m inspired by the world around me, although not anything specifically. I’ll see or hear something and a “what if” idea just pops into my brain. I’ll get excited and a story will start to form in my mind.

Q.   What is your favorite thing about being an author?

I get really wrapped up in the story and can’t stop thinking about it. I have to write. Things I hadn’t planned just start to happen in the story. I love it when that happens. It feels so magical.

Q.   What is the toughest part of being an author?

Finding a balance between my writing life and “real” life. That magical thing I talked about in the last question? That needs to cut off at 2:30 p.m. when my girls get home from school and can’t get turned on again until 7:30 a.m. when they leave for school. It’s hard to power down that part of my brain, and then hard to get centered in that world again after a busy afternoon and night. But if it weren’t for my family, I’d probably get scurvy from a diet of coffee and power bars. They need me to unplug and make dinner, and I need a reason to unplug and make dinner!

Q.   If you could not be author, what would you do/be?

I’d go back to my glamorous life as wife and mother. Before that I had the almost equally glamorous career as a teacher. But if we’re talking complete hypothetical, what I want to be when I grow up, sort of thing? An editor. Or professional karaoke singer.

Q.   What would the story of your life be entitled?

If You Give a Girl A Cookie.

Q.   What is your favorite book of all time?

The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.

Q.   Which part of your book(s) was the easiest to write?

The scenes in the Gearjammer, a trucker bar Cherry uses for some sleuthing. I had fun with the setting and the characters that inhabit that bar. Plus I love to write action scenes. And there’s some romantic chemistry in those scenes that’s equally fun.

Q.   Which part of your book(s) was the hardest to write?

Writing this book was a bit like spinning plates. I had a lot of subplots and clues to track that didn’t tie up until the end. So the middle was the hardest to write. LOL

Q.   Which character from any book are you most like?

Probably Red, the bartender. I serve people all day and feel compelled to dispense advice.

Q.   What is your favorite season?

Fall. And I’ve an autumn birthday. No coincidence.

Q.   Tell me something funny that happened while on a book tour or while promoting your book(s).

I once met an older woman at a signing who was quite a character. She had a very beautiful, but unique name. I asked her if I could use it in a book and she refused, because she “didn’t want it to become popular.” Then she told me to date the books I was signing, because “signed books are not worth anything if they’re not dated.” I think she greatly overestimated my sway in the literary world.

Q.   Are you working on something new?

Always! Now I’m writing Cherry Tucker’s fourth book, DEATH IN PERSPECTIVE, that will hopefully release next spring. I’m also working on a paranormal detective series set in Japan.

Q.   Anything you want to say to followers of this blog or those that are just stopping by?

A big thank you for stopping in and taking the time to read the interview. Your next question inspires a question I have for your readers. How do they feel about book covers? Writers often don’t have a lot of input with publishers when it comes to their covers. How much does a cover influence you as a reader? Do you judge books by their cover?

Q.  Can you tell me a little about the inspiration behind your book cover(s)?

The book covers are created by an artist with my Henery Press editor’s input and design. I offer some suggestions, but I can’t claim any of the creativity. My editor, Kendel, is a great designer and I’ve been very pleased with the adorable covers.

Thanks so much for having me here! It’s been a pleasure!

Excerpt from HIJACK IN ABSTRACT by Larissa Reinhart

With my messenger bag bumping my back, I hugged my chest, figuring it best not to give an extra show to Shep and the boys. I followed Uncle Will down the hallway, waiting while he unlocked a door. The door opened and two faces turned to look at us. One I didn’t recognize, but judging by his despondent expression, I figured he was probably in a mess of trouble. The other person, another deputy, I identified immediately. Hard not to recognize those brown ochre curls with the highlights I had decided were transparent oxide-red lake. Or the lean, muscled body, much like Michelangelo’s David. Or by the strong jaw buttressing two adorable dimples that made a rare showing.

Unfortunately, I knew Deputy Luke Harper a little too well.

He gave me a scant nod and turned back to the perp.

My hand snuck back to my hair and yanked on a particularly tall cowlick in back. I gritted my teeth and gave myself a quick lecture not to make a scene. We had aired our irreconcilable differences behind the local roadhouse, Red’s County Line Tap, a few months ago and I had not quite recovered.

“That’s Tyrone Coderre,” said Uncle Will. “He’s going to give you a description to draw. We need a composite sketch.”

Uncle Will stopped me before I entered the room and pulled me to the side. “Can I leave Deputy Harper in there with you or do I need to call in another officer? Harper’s the one who picked up Coderre, so this is his investigation.”

“I’m quite capable of separating my personal and professional life,” I said, tilting my chin so I could eyeball Uncle Will. “You might want to ask the same of him.”

“I trust Luke not to screw up his job. You are another story.”

I gave him a “why, I never” gasp.

“I’m going to be watching through the two-way.” He tapped my messenger bag. “Lucky for you, I don’t know other artists to call during the middle of the night. Wouldn’t want to be accused of nepotism. But I want a sketch while the memory is still fresh in Coderre's mind. Don’t disappoint me, Cherry.”

“So, this is an important investigation?” Excitement zipped through my veins and made my fingers tingle. “I won’t let you down. You can even deputize me if you want.”

Uncle Will chuckled. “Just draw us a good picture. That’s plenty helpful.”

“Yes, sir,” I said and snuck by him to enter the room. I nodded to the man in the black sweat suit behind the table and held out my hand. “Hello, Mr. Coderre. I’m Cherry Tucker, a local artist.”

“Don’t shake his hand,” barked Luke. “Are you crazy?”

Tyrone Coderre's cuffed hands retreated below the table, and I blew out a hard breath.

Looked like it was going to be a long night. At least the criminal had manners.

Couldn’t say the same for the cop.

Connect with Larissa!

Website: larissareinhart.com

Blog: larissareinhart.blogspot.com

Facebook page: facebook.com/RisWrites

Goodreads author page: goodreads.com/author/show/5806614.Larissa_Reinhart

Twitter: twitter.com/RisWrites

Publisher: henerypress.com

https://www.facebook.com/LittleReadHens

Amazon: amazon.com/author/larissareinhart

email: reinhartlarissa@gmail.com

SheReads Blog Network: Review: SOMEONE ELSE’S LOVE STORY by Joshilyn Jackson

I am part of the amazing SheReads Blog Network! Which means that I am fortunate enough to partner with some of the most savvy, talented, and intelligent book bloggers in the business. Every month we wonderful women read our selections and review them on our personal sites. We are kind and witty and love books more than air. We would love for you to visit each of us online and follow us on Facebook and Twitter. You don’t want to miss all the book goodness we have to offer! 

THIS MONTH'S SELECTION:

SOMEONE ELSE’S LOVE STORY is beloved and highly acclaimed New York Times bestselling author Joshilyn Jackson’s funny, charming, and poignant novel about science and miracles, secrets and truths, faith and forgiveness; about falling in love, and learning that things aren’t always what they seem—or what we hope they will be.

Shandi Pierce is juggling finishing college, raising her delightful three-year-old genius son Nathan, aka Natty Bumppo, and keeping the peace between her eternally warring, long-divorced parents. She’s got enough complications without getting caught in the middle of a stick-up and falling in love with William Ashe, who willingly steps between the robber and her son.

Shandi doesn’t know that her blond god Thor has his own complications. When he looked down the barrel of that gun he believed it was destiny: It’s been one year to the day since a tragic act of physics shattered his world. But William doesn’t define destiny the way others do. A brilliant geneticist who believes in facts and numbers, destiny to him is about choice. Now, he and Shandi are about to meet their so-called destinies head on, making choices that will reveal unexpected truths about love, life, and the world they think they know.

Add SOMEONE ELSE’S LOVE STORY on Goodreads.

* * *

Can’t wait until the 19th to get a taste of SOMEONE ELSE’S LOVE STORY? Well, friends, you’re in luck.  MY OWN MIRACULOUS will tide you over. Pick up a copy when you pre-order SOMEONE ELSE’S LOVE STORY and get a running start at the novel.

From New York Times bestselling novelist Joshilyn Jackson comes an e-original short story that gives a fierce and funny character from SOMEONE ELSE’S LOVE STORY a standalone adventure all her own.

Shandi Pierce got pregnant when she was only seventeen years old. She fell for her son—deeply, instantly, completely—but as she sat at the table feeding him, her own mother was sliding eggs and bacon onto her plate, feeding her. Now, four years later, Shandi is still more parented than parent.

She lives with her mom, her dad pays her bills, and her best friend, Walcott, acts as her white knight. But Natty is no ordinary kid, and when his savant behavior catches the attention of an obsessive stranger, only Shandi sees the true menace.

To protect her son, Shandi must grow up—fast—and find an answer to the question, how can a girl remake herself into a mother?

* * *
Joshilyn Jackson is the New York Times Bestselling author of GODS IN ALABAMA, BETWEEN, GEORGIA, THE GIRL WHO STOPPED SWIMMING, BACKSEAT SAINTS, and A GROWN  UP KIND OF PRETTY.  SOMEONE ELSE’S LOVE STORY is her most recent novel. Her short novella, MY OWN MIRACULOUS, is the prequel to SOMEONE ELSE’S LOVE STORY, and is available as an e book and an audio download.

She lives in Decatur, Georgia with her husband and their two kids. She loves Bourbon and Hot Yoga (not together) and she has more dogs than you. Unless you have three.  Joshilyn is also an award winning audiobook narrator.

Jackson has a way to draw you into a read from the first line.  She writes such original and unsuspecting great stories.  She takes her time fleshing out the characters and making them relate-able, engaging and  unforgettable.  She has twists, turns and ending that are both unexpected and satisfying.  She writes well rounded novels.  I feel that Jackson is among the best story tellers out there.  Make sure to grab this novel.  It is not only one you will devour, but it is a great pick for your book club!  4.5 star

Preorder  SOMEONE ELSE’S LOVE STORY now.  It comes out November 19!  In the mean time grab My Own Miraculous: A Short Story