Wanderlust in Suburbia - a Book Review

By 

Marilyn Brant 

SYNOPSIS

New York Times & USA Today bestselling author Marilyn Brant offers something unique and personal to the fans of her fiction and to new readers alike — a collection of 21 essays and 5 poems on the subject of motherhood, filled with the warmth, humor, and astute observations that are a trademark of her novels.

Wanderlust in Suburbia and Other Reflections on Motherhood is a “tribute to our mothers and our grandmothers. To our women friends. And to all of us as well.”

REVIEW

Books with Marilyn are a road of wonder and discovery.  It does not matter if they are paths down a romantic lane with two star-crossed lovers in one of her fun-loving romance novels.  It is totally beside the point if we are rollicking through Europe with a bus load of people discovering places we only dream of going to.  And it definitely doesn’t matter if we are flying across country in a high speed hot-rod with the guy we have had a secret crush on – like forever – looking for our missing brother, while hanging onto our lives by the seat of our pants.  Any read with Marilyn is an adventure.
  Wanderlust in Suburbia is no different.  The only changes consist of the fact that this is a collection of short essays, recollections, and poetry that she has written over the years.  It is a chance to see and discover the world from behind the magical eyes of Marilyn Brant.  We have the opportunity to fall all the way back into the 1970’s again as she and her husband start their lives together and witness, through these vignettes, the changing seasons of her life as she grows and matures as a wife, mother, author, and person. I had opportunity to laugh, cry, and sigh with her as her children grew; as she started writing “for real”.
  The tribute to fathers and dads brought me to tears as she honored her father and husband and all dads in one very poignant essay that is worthy of any publication.  Her wanderings through the early years spanned the seasons, holidays, and other special occasions, as well as the different foibles that we all find ourselves falling into as women and parents. If you love reading the works of Marilyn Brant, or if you love Chicken Soup for the Soul, you will love this gem.
   Even though I have it sitting here on my Kindle, I am buying some hardcopies for some new mommies that I know.  What a fantastic “new Mother’s” gift.  The essays are not only fun and enjoyable, they are packed full of some down home folk wisdom that most any mom would appreciate.
   Thank you for sharing these personal gems of yourself and of your family, Marilyn.  I could hear your voice smiling as I read my way through them all.  This will be a volume I plan on keeping around for a pick-me-up for myself.
   FIVE HUGE STARS!!!!  
   A must read!!!!!!!!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Marilyn Brant is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling author of contemporary women’s fiction, romantic comedy & mystery. She was named the Author of the Year (2013) by the Illinois Association of Teachers of English. She loves all things Jane Austen, has a passion for Sherlock Holmes, is a travel addict and a music junkie, and lives on chocolate and gelato. Visit her website: www.marilynbrant.com  

THE CEO BUYS IN - A Book Review

by

Nancy Herkness

SYNOPSIS

Self-made billionaire Nathan Trainor feels restless and disillusioned. His company may be thriving, but he can’t find a woman who sees him for more than his wealth. With his love life in the red, he meets two other billionaire bachelors at the ultra-exclusive Bellwether Club. The three of them make a wager of the heart: they must find women who love them for who they are, not their money.

Savvy office temp Chloe Russell is trying to scrape together the money to support her grandmother. So when a flu epidemic strikes Trainor Electronics and she’s promoted to Nathan Trainor’s assistant, she jumps at the well-paid opportunity. But then Nathan himself falls ill, and he and Chloe must work from his penthouse while he recuperates. Before long, it’s clear there’s genuine heat between them, and it’s more than just a fever spike. Will Nathan win Chloe’s heart—and the bet? Or will their differences destroy any chance for love?

REVIEW

A CEO, a writer, and a star quarterback walked into a bar.  Sounds like the opening line to a really good joke, and you keep waiting for the other shoe to drop.  But this isn’t a joke, this is one well-written hot and bothered novel.  I love a good romance.  I really love a well-written romance novel with a strong female protagonist who doesn’t let the leading man run over her.  I hate lily-livered, simpering leading ladies, who sniff into their hankies and develop cases of the vapors (if only writers knew what vapors really were, LOL). 

Nancy Herkness delivered a complex storyline that kept my attention and entertained my mind as well as my libido on more than one occasion.  Her main characters were well developed with a lot of depth and complexity to their personalities that gave them believability and life that lifted them off the pages of the book.  The brooding, but extremely intelligent hero is always a favorite in my book.  I enjoyed watching this hero and the heroine matching wits as they sparred their way through the pages and sheets of the story.  The surrounding characters were colorful and added to the story.  The storyline itself was simple and straight forward, with a couple of small sub-plots that filled out the novel and gave some backstory to the characters.

It has been a long time since I have sat down and read a simple, straight forward story, where girl and boy meet.  Boy has no desire to fall in love.  Girl has no time for boy in her life.   But life throws them together and BAM!!!!  Life happens, sparks fly.  One problem, the boy is the “king of the castle”.  The girl hates “kings” and all things “rich and corporate”.  Oh, he is not without his own foibles.  Even though he is CEO and successful in his own right, he feels that he is a failure in his family’s eyes.  Then the tables turn and she must come to his rescue and save him from himself. 

 I laughed, I cried, I sweated, I loved reading this, my first Nancy Herkness book.  It won’t be my last.  A definite FIVE STAR rating. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nancy Herkness is the author of the award-winning Whisper Horse series, published by Montlake Romance, as well as several other contemporary romance novels.  She is a two-time nominee for the Romance Writers of America RITA® award. Her new series, Wager of Hearts, follows the romantic adventures of three very wealthy men who make a life-changing bet. 

Nancy is a member of Romance Writers of America, New Jersey Romance Writers, and Novelists, Inc. She has received many honors for her work, including the Golden Leaf Award, the Maggie Award in Contemporary Romance, and the National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award.  She graduated from Princeton University with a degree in English literature and creative writing.

A native of West Virginia, Nancy now lives in suburban New Jersey with her husband, two mismatched dogs, and an elderly cat. 

For more information about Nancy and her books, visit www.NancyHerkness.com.

Here are the links purchase 

The CEO Buys in

Kindle: http://amzn.to/1MunfJK
Amazon Print: http://amzn.to/1Ot1UBC
Amazon Audio: http://amzn.to/1aXNsmO
Barnes and Noble print: http://bit.ly/1zrovFJ

BAITED SERIES - Book Tour and Giveaway

Title: Baited (3 Part Serial)
Author:Ali Parker
Publication Date:April 12, 2015
Rebecca Martin has achieved most things one might hope to by thirty. She is a successful business owner, drives a nice car and is wrapping up the details on a custom built home on the lake. The only thing she is missing is someone to share her accomplishments with.

One man has never been far from her thoughts – Kade McMillian, but his return to town after far too many years of chasing his dreams couldn’t be more poorly timed.

With a younger man demanding Rebecca attention at the office, she has to decide between reconstructing a relationship from her past or diving in deep to something new and seemingly forbidden.

PURCHASE LINKS:

Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo | Scribd

THE NEXT INSTALLMENTS IN THE SERIES:

BOX SERIES AVAILABLE FOR ONLY $2.99

PAPERBACK BOOK COMING SOON...

AUTHOR BIO

Ali Parker is a contemporary romance writer who is looking to flood the market this year with lots of great, quick reads. For those of you who love a full-length novel, we'll be boxing up the serial trilogies into a box set a week after the last release.

We're looking forward to putting out both Baited, and Ali's latest project, Jaded in the month of April.

Want to know when Ali releases something new? Join her mailing list!
http://eepurl.com/bjFlZD

Amazon || Twitter || Facebook || Mailing List

GIVEAWAY
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This tour was organized by Good Tales Book Tours.

MACYN'S LETTER - Good Tales Book Tour COVER REAVEAL

 

Book One in the

MACYN MCINTYRE SERIES

MACYN'S LETTER

by

S. L. Stacker

PUBLICATION DATE

MAY 21, 2015

A near-death experience at the hands of her husband would cause any woman to cling to her crippling trust issues and dating phobia, and Macyn McIntyre is no exception. Falling into the lap of a sexy stranger may persuade her to change her mind, but before Macyn realizes what’s happening, a second potential love interest is vying for her affections. When a threatening letter turns up in her mailbox, Macyn realizes choosing between two guys is the least of her worries. Abduction, violence, and rescue by an elite squad change the course of her life forever. When she seeks revenge on those who hurt her, she has to decide if she can trust the ones who vow they love her. Will Macyn be able to overcome her past and use their aid in her vendetta, or will she take matters into her own hands?  ABOUT THE AUTHOR S.L. Stacker is a romantic suspense author and novelist with Booktrope publishing and a member of International Thriller Writers association. She has written and published three books in the Macyn McIntyre series. Her current work includes several fiction novels, but her focus is Sisters of Summit Bay—to be published in 2015. When she isn’t throwing her readers for a loop and leaving them with cliffhangers, she can be found chilling with her husband, children, and dog. Author Links: Goodreads | Website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon

 

ALL THIS TIME - Book Tour, Review, and Giveaway

SYNOPSIS
American, Lydia Fadoul, hasSyrian spent a year waiting for her fiancé to return from war in Iraq, only to discover that he is broken by trauma and the devastating effects of PTSD. Just when he finally agrees to seek help, he takes his own life and leaves behind a story of murder, betrayal, and mystery. In her second, contemporary fiction novel since Budapest, Tiffani Burnett-Velez weaves a fast-paced literary tale about the rumors we believe and the prejudices we create in order to protect our hearts from the truth.

REVIEW

Some books are easy reads.  They are ones that you sit back in the porch swing on a Sunday afternoon with a big glass of lemonade and spend the afternoon immersed in another world.  A world where boy meets girl, and they run through the meadow with their arms outspread and laugh at the joy of life and the love that they share.  Ahhh what a nice relaxing Sunday afternoon, to sit there and wiggle your toes and grin with the daydreams.

Then there are the books that you sit down and pull your favorite throw close.  Grab your favorite cuppa and make sure it is fresh and hot, because you know, before you open the book, that you are going to need it.  Not all books are easy reads.  But there are some books you want and need to read!  There are some stories that need to be heard. 

ALL THIS TIME is such a story.  From the first page, as I stood in the cold cemetery, next to the cold empty grave, and listened to the dry liturgy of a preacher who no more knew the soldier whose body was lying there in that cold coffin – my heart broke.  It never got any better. 

PTSD is one of those subjects that is hard to talk about.  It is harder to watch a loved one live with. Tiffani accomplished a seemingly impossible task of adequately portraying and vocalizing the pain, anger and confusion that the young fiancé of the dead marine and heroine of ALL THIS TIME went through after his suicide. 

Utilizing a wonderful and tantalizing story of intrigue and mystery to speak to a national tragedy in our nation’s military, Tiffani upheld the honor of our servicemen while speaking to the unimaginable atrocities that oft times drives many of these young men over the edge of sanity.  She addressed the questions of lack of adequate pre-screening and post diagnostic treatment upon return from the theatre of war. 

I deeply appreciated the sensitivity she gave to the many aspects of the vagaries that can cloud such situations involving multi-ethnicity incidents, no matter where they occur or between what peoples.  My hats off to Tiffani for a story well told and job well done on telling a difficult story.  This reviewer would give this book a rating of 4.5 Stars.

About the Author 

Tiffani Burnett-Velez has been a freelance since 1996. Her non - fiction work has appeared in magazines and newspapers in the US and Europe, including Pennsylvania Magazine, Country Discoveries, St . Anthony Messenger, Health.com, Yahoo! News, and many more online and in print publications.

Her first novel, Budapest, was featured in the New York Book Festival and the 4 2nd Annual Conference of Jewish Librarians and it's re-release became a 2014 Amazon Bestseller in Literary and Inspirational Fiction. Her second contemporary novel, All This Time, will be released by Booktrope in 2015, and the second, A Berlin Story, in her bestselling WWII novella series, Embers of War, is an Amazon Historical German Fiction Bestseller. She has studied English Literature at Harvard University and the University of Pennsylvania and holds a BA in Cognitive Science from Ashford University. She is currently completing her MFA in Creative Writing.

Author Links Website || Twitter || Goodreads

Publication Date: April 3 2015 Publisher: Booktrope Book Links: Goodreads || Amazon || B&N 

GIVEAWAY
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This tour was organized by Good Tales Book Tours.