Blog Tour: The Christmas Sisters

I love Christmas stories with a (heavy) romantic undertone. Just absolutely love them. Curling up by the lit up Christmas tree, fireplace burning, and glass of wine beside me while reading a holiday love story? Sign. Me. Up. I have great news for anyone who feels the same. The Christmas Sisters, Sarah Morgan's latest novel, was holiday perfection in my books.

Here's the synopsis:

In the snowy Highlands of Scotland, Suzanne McBride is dreaming of the perfect cozy Christmas. Her three adopted daughters are coming home for the holidays and she can’t wait to see them. But tensions are running high…
Workaholic Hannah knows she can’t avoid spending the holidays with her family two years in a row. But it’s not the weight of their expectations that’s panicking her—it’s the life-changing secret she’s hiding. Stay-at-home mom Beth is having a personal crisis. All she wants for Christmas is time to decide if she’s ready to return to work—seeing everyone was supposed to help her stress levels, not increase them! Posy isn’t sure she’s living her best life, but with her parents depending on her, making a change seems risky. But not as risky as falling for gorgeous new neighbor Luke…
As Suzanne’s dreams of the perfect McBride Christmas unravel, she must rely on the magic of the season to bring her daughters together. But will this new togetherness teach the sisters that their close-knit bond is strong enough to withstand anything—including a family Christmas?

There are so many things to love about this Christmas story. Honestly. That being said...there was a little something that kept me from giving it 5 stars on Goodreads. (Why haven't they come up with 1/2 stars yet? Or maybe I don't want them too...that'll just give people more to complain about "Why didn't I get that extra half star? They must have hated the book if they only gave it 3 1/2." OK, so that's a rant for another day...) This is such a solid story though that I'm not going to look too closely at why I left off that last star (it's very likely just because I have extremely high standards for 5 stars). I'll just talk about all the lovely things about the book. Sound good? Good.

This book is perfectly Christmassy. It is so rare to read a Christmas story (I'll admit most of my holiday reading are romances because I am a sucker for them) that actually has such a focus on Christmas. There were the traditional and concrete Christmas elements - buying and giving presents, trees and decorations, baking and eating - as well as the feeling and essence of Christmas - family, love, a dash of stress. Those magical Christmas feelings wrapped themselves around me and I almost felt like I was cozied up in front of the fire at Suzanne and Stewart's with the McBride family all around me. Which, I admit, was a really weird feeling to have at the end of September when I read the novel. If I can make one suggestion, it's that you wait until December or, at the very least, after Thanksgiving - Canadian or American, take your pick - to read this one. I think the magic of the season will make the story that much more powerful for you.

I recently read (and reviewed) Sarah Morgan's last book, How to Keep a Secret, which was her first foray into "women's fiction" (instead of true romance). I didn't really think it was too much of a departure from her usual romances because she always has such strong characters and a solid storyline. This one though? Even though there were relationships and lovers all over the place, it felt more contemporary fiction than contemporary romance. (This might be a really hard thing to understand if you're not a romance and contemporary reader but I read a good amount of both so, I guess I'm an expert?) The storyline was a bit heavier (not to say romances must always be light and fluffy) and all the feelings of all the characters were explored, not just the romantic feelings. It was as much a family story as it was a romantic one.

The characters were all, somewhat surprisingly, quite fleshed out. I say surprisingly because there were a lot of them to get to know. The POV cycled through Suzanne, Posy, Beth, and Hannah and Morgan really managed to make each woman shine. Not only that, each of their husbands/love interests (Stewart, Luke, Jason, and Adam, respectively) had strong personalities as well (and I don't necessarily mean Alpha male personalities, just well developed ones). It was so lovely to read such great characters. Even Beth and Jason's daughters were delightful and their little personalities came through the pages as well.

And it takes place in Scotland. I LOVE THAT. I'm a Stewart. Of course I do.

I could likely gush about this heartwarming tale all day so I'll just say this: if you only read one Christmas novel this year, make it Sarah Morgan's The Christmas Sisters. It was such a delight and already has me looking forward to the holiday season.

And good news for any Canadian and American readers out there...if you've finished reading this post and thought, "Boy, I wish I had a copy of this book for myself." you're in luck! The publisher is holding a giveaway, just enter the Rafflecopter below. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Just in case you don't win, you can buy the book in all these places:

* Amazon.com * Barnes and Noble * Harlequin * Books-A-Million * 

Indiebound * Kobo * Apple * Google

And check out and follow Sarah Morgan all over the Internet!

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Bookbub * Goodreads * Instagram * Pinterest

*An e-galley of this novel was provided by the publisher, Harlequin, in exchange for a review for the purposes of a blog tour. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: How to Keep a Secret

I've been reading Sarah Morgan's romances for a long time now and they're always so enjoyable. Like many romance authors in recent years, Morgan has just published a women's fiction novel, How to Keep a Secret. Personally, I think there's a lot of cross-over between the genres and the different marketing sometimes really frustrates me because they (publishers) really only do it because some idiots people turn their noses up at romance novels. *breathes* But that's a rant for another day. Today I will gush about the loveliness that is Morgan's latest book!

Here's the synopsis:

When three generations of women are brought together by crisis, they learn over the course of one hot summer the power of family to support, nourish and surprise
Lauren has the perfect life...if she ignores the fact it's a fragile house of cards, and that her daughter Mack has just had a teenage personality transplant.
Jenna is desperate to start a family with her husband, but it's... Just. Not. Happening. Her heart is breaking, but she's determined to keep her trademark smile on her face.
Nancy knows she hasn't been the best mother, but how can she ever tell Lauren and Jenna the reason why?
Then life changes in an instant, and Lauren, Mack, Jenna and Nancy are thrown together for a summer on Martha's Vineyard. Somehow, these very different women must relearn how to be a family. And while unraveling their secrets might be their biggest challenge, the rewards could be infinite...
Heartwarming and fresh, Sarah Morgan's brilliant new novel is a witty and deeply uplifting look at the power of a family of women. 

I do have to talk about the difference between this book and Morgan's usual romances (not rant-y, I promise). How to Keep a Secret isn't so much about the love stories (there are three of them) but more about the four Stewart women and their relationships with each other. The familial relationships are way more complicated and problematic than the romantic ones and I appreciated the balance between the two. It was actually quite refreshing because I haven't read a book like this in a little while and it was so well done.

The only thing I didn't really like was, funnily enough, the secrets that were being kept. I had a feeling I knew what Lauren and Jenna were keeping from their mother, and vice versa, but the girls' reasoning just didn't sit well with me. It was a sound reason at 11 and 8 ish but once they grew older? Not so much. I guess I just didn't understand why they wouldn't try to work past it. Maybe they thought the relationships were too damaged to try and repair them. This secret also caused a blow-up between Jenna and her husband that didn't seem very realistic but I think it was more a "last straw" than the actual problem. (Yeah, that's vague but spoilers must be avoided!)

I was worried that the story might get a bit confusing with all the points of view but Morgan managed to keep everything together well. I do think I wanted more time with/background of/interactions between the characters but it's hard to do in a story like this sometimes. I liked all the different viewpoints and how you could see as the story went on how the women were starting to trust each other more and become closer.

Oh my gosh. And the setting? I could totally picture The Captain's House and the lovely scenery Morgan painted for the reader. Made me crave a beach vacation or perhaps a visit to my hometown on Georgian Bay.

Finally, I have to share how exciting it was to see a character with the same name as me! She was minor (so minor she's only mentioned in passing) but I've only encountered this in two other books and twice in real life (the actress doesn't count).

How to Keep a Secret may not be a traditional Sarah Morgan romance but it has all the things readers look for when picking up one of her books - and more. Someone looking for a really light-hearted story would be disappointed (my recommendation is change your viewpoint/expectation and read it anyway) but anyone who wants a great story about family and love will be so pleased with Morgan's latest book.

*A copy of this novel was provided by the publisher, Harlequin, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: The Good Liar

I've been reading Catherine McKenzie's books for years. I've enjoyed all of them but her last couple weren't as high up on my "really good" books list as I would have expected. But then I read her newest, The Good Liar. And it's fantastic.

Here's the synopsis:

Can you hide a secret with the whole world watching?
When an explosion rips apart a Chicago building, the lives of three women are forever altered.
A year later, Cecily is in mourning. She was supposed to be in the building that day. Instead, she stood on the street and witnessed it going down, with her husband and best friend inside. Kate, now living thousands of miles away, fled the disaster and is hoping that her past won’t catch up with her. And Franny, a young woman in search of her birth mother, watched the horror unfold on the morning news, knowing that the woman she was so desperate to reconnect with was in the building.
Now, despite the marks left by the tragedy, they all seem safe. But as its anniversary dominates the media, the memories of that terrifying morning become dangerous triggers. All these women are guarding important secrets. Just how far will they go to keep them?

I'm finding the whole twisted story told by an unreliable female character trope getting a wee bit old. But then a novel like The Good Liar comes along and reminds me that there are a lot of really great stories being told in that genre (whatever we're calling that genre these days). I wouldn't really say this book is a psychological thriller because it's not quite a thriller - but it's definitely a psychological story. It's also a bit deceptive because you may think you know how all of the twisted threads will be unraveled. But, let me assure you, you will not know. Not at all. And I loved that!

McKenzie starts dropping little clues to something being not quite right early on in the story. Some of them start to make sense quickly but others led to a complete shock for me. It's almost not until the last third of the novel that I start wondering who I should be trusting. Cecily seems fairly trustworthy but you know she's hiding something and when that's revealed first, you wonder what else she could be hiding. Kate's motivations seem simple enough on the surface but are they? And what about Franny?

I also really liked that it was a balance of a mystery with a family drama. I mean, it's all tied together really but both parts of the story were told so well. Cecily is trying to find out what really happened the day her husband and her best friend (along with 500 other people) died. But at the same time she's raising two teenagers. And trying to start a new job. And maybe start dating? All the different facets of the story were balanced and told so well.

The women are front and centre in this book. The men all play a secondary role to the females, which I thought was great. Even Teo, who is trying to weave his own narrative for his documentary, is never in the forefront of the story. 

I'm really excited for everyone to read The Good Liar. Catherine McKenzie is still one of my favourite authors and she's written an amazing novel. Can you do me a favour though? Once you finish it can you let me know so we can talk about that ending?

*An egalley was provided by the author via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: Things to Do When It's Raining

I always love finding Canadian authors who write the kinds of stories I like to read (ie not the old guard Canlit that doesn't interest me very much) so when I read Marissa Stapley's first novel, Mating for Life, almost four years ago I was thrilled (read my review here if you missed it). Finally, another Canadian author who writes well and tells a wonderful story. Fast forward a few years and I was impatiently waiting for Stapley's next novel - after meeting her at several bookish events over that time period. She's as wonderful a person as she is a writer (I'm always so happy when that turns out to be the case). As for her second novel, Things to Do When It's Raining? I didn't want to put it down.

Here's the synopsis:

When secrets tear love apart, can the truth mend it?
Mae Summers and Gabriel Broadbent grew up together in the idyllic Summers’ Inn, perched at the edge the St. Lawrence river. Mae was orphaned at the age of six and Gabe needed protection from his alcoholic father, so both were raised under one roof by Mae’s grandparents, Lilly and George. A childhood friendship quickly developed into a first love—a love that was suddenly broken by Gabe’s unexpected departure. Mae grew up, got over her heartbreak, and started a life for herself in New York City.
After more than a decade, Mae and Gabe find themselves pulled back to Alexandria Bay. Hoping to find solace within the Summers’ Inn, Mae instead finds her grandparents in the midst of decline and their past unravelling around her. A lifetime of secrets stand in the way of this unconventional family’s happiness. Will they be able to reclaim the past and come together, or will they remain separate islands?
From the bestselling author of Mating for Life comes a powerful story about guilt, forgiveness and the truth about families: that we can choose them, just as we choose to love.

If you've read Stapley's first novel, you'll know that she writes family dramas really, really well. Her second novel solidifies that. This story isn't just about Mae and Gabe. Nor does it focus solely on Lilly and George. It weaves a tale of two families with issues and secrets just like any other. OK, maybe they're not just like any other but I suppose that's what makes this story more interesting than others could be. Gabe and Mae didn't have the most ideal childhoods - for two totally different reasons - but they had each other, as well as Mae's grandparents, who were doing the best they could after their daughter and son-in-law died.

This isn't the easiest story to read because there's a lot of heartbreak throughout the pages. Most of the heartbreak comes from many characters being abandoned - either because of a death or because another character had (or "had") to leave. At the beginning, these characters don't handle the abandonment well at all. And you can't really expect them to either. Grief is a process and Things to Do When It's Raining allows the reader to work through the characters' grief right along with them. That's sometimes uncomfortable and I didn't always love it but I know that's what makes this book so good.

Some people may find they can't connect to the characters in this novel or that they just plain don't like them. I actually had that thought flit through my head as I was reading it. I quickly dismissed it because I think connecting with a character can look very different depending on the book. And I think readers, women reading women especially, are still conditioned to believe that we have to like every character we read. But guess what? We don't. We certainly don't like every person we come across, do we? But just because there might be a so-called connection lacking doesn't mean it's not a good character. Stapley's characters are going through a lot and, as someone who just lost her grandmother recently, I know it is not easy to be likeable while you're grieving. These characters are all deeply flawed but they are real.

Things to Do When It's Raining was a well-written and captivating family drama. Marissa Stapley has proven herself to be a master in the genre (if we want to call it that and I think I will) and I already can't wait for her next book.

*An ARC of this novel was provided by the publisher, Simon & Schuster Canada, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: Plan Bea

One of my least favourite things is having to say I didn't love a book so when I say that Plan Bea was a book I expected to like (if not love) and didn't, know it's as hard for me to write as it is for the author to read. Hilary Grossman's second novel isn't bad, don't get me wrong. I did find enjoyment in some parts but I just didn't connect with it in the way I should have.

Here's the synopsis:

Could falling in love allow a cold, stubborn, and selfish women to open her heart back up to her family?
Beatrice Buchanan has spent more years than she can remember distancing herself from everyone close to her. She has no relationship with her grandchildren and the only time she speaks to her daughter is during her weekly fifteen-minute commute to the nail salon. When Bea meets Walter on a cruise she realizes there may be more to life than designer clothes and impressing the ladies at her country club.
We live our entire lives thinking we know those closest to us. But do we ever really?
On the outside, Annabel O’Conner has it all – the perfect husband, two adorable children, and an amazing job. The only thing missing is her mother’s love. When Bea begs her daughter to help plan her wedding, Annabel reluctantly agrees. Little does she know the impact of her decision or the surprise that is in store for her!
This emotional and honest women’s contemporary fiction novel will tug at your heartstrings and the twist ending will shock you.

The core of the story was an intriguing and gripping one. My heart hurt for both Anna and Bea. I couldn't imagine having such a strained relationship with my mom. I loved seeing them attempt to repair their relationship and Anna encourage a relationship between her mom and her children.

It takes awhile to learn exactly why Anna and Bea's relationship is so awful and almost non-existent. I can't say why, since that's part of the plot twist, but I will say that I had it figured out. And because of this, I found myself reorganizing the storyline to make it "better" (in my opinion, of course). The revelations could have been in a different order and still would have packed a punch. Plus, I wouldn't have been waiting and waiting for the big reveal to occur. It was so anticlimactic for me. That was a big flow issue for me but there were other ones as well. The way Anna and Bea revealed information to each other was so stilted, even allowing for their strained relationship. There was also a piece of info Bea gave Anna that I didn't see how she could know. There were some recalling of conversations that were so awkward. For example, after a dinner out with the whole family (which we don't get to read about), Anna and her husband are getting ready for bed and are talking about how funny their daughter was that evening. I assume most parents would laugh and move on but they quote, verbatim we're to assume, exactly what she said. It just didn't feel natural to me.

Never being in Anna's situation myself (though I have a non-existant relationship with my dad so I can kind of see where she'd be coming from), I can't say for certain what I would do in her place. But that shouldn't matter...I should be able to understand why a character is acting the way she is (this is women's fiction, not a thriller, you know?) and I just didn't get why Anna was so hellbent on catering to her mother's every request when Bea had been so so horrible to her. It just didn't quite make sense to me.

Like I said, I wanted Plan Bea to be a winner for me. I know so many other chick lit and women's fiction fans adore Hilary Grossman's books but it doesn't seem to be in the cards for me. Would I tell you not to read it? No, of course not. Read it if the story speaks to you! But maybe it doesn't need to be tops on your TBR list.

*A copy of this novel was provided in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Taking It Off the Shelf: The Meryl Streep Movie Club

The Meryl Streep Movie Club came out in June of 2012 and I've had it sitting on my shelf since about then. My birthday is in late May so I would have noted that Mia March's debut novel was being released the next month and I earmarked birthday money/gift cards to go towards it. It's taken me forever to get to it (that's the life of a book blogger) but I'm so glad I finally gave it a chance. It was an absolutely wonderful read.

Here's the synopsis:

In the bestselling tradition of The Friday Night Knitting Club and The Jane Austen Book Club, three women find unexpected answers, happiness, and one another, with Meryl Streep movies as their inspiration.
Two sisters and the cousin they grew up with after a tragedy are summoned home to their family matriarch’s inn on the coast of Maine for a shocking announcement. Suddenly, Isabel, June, and Kat are sharing the attic bedroom – and barely speaking. But when innkeeper Lolly asks them to join her and the guests in the parlor for weekly Movie Night – it’s Meryl Streep month – they find themselves sharing secrets, talking long into the night . . . and questioning everything they thought they knew about life, love, and one another.
Each woman sees her complicated life reflected through the magic of cinema: Isabel's husband is having an affair, and an old pact may keep her from what she wants most . . . June has promised her seven-year-old son that she will somehow find his father, who he’s never known . . . and Kat is ambivalent about accepting her lifelong best friend’s marriage proposal. Through everything, Lolly has always been there for them, and now Isabel, June, Kat – and Meryl – must be there for her. Finding themselves. Finding each other. Finding a happy ending.

Oh, this book. It was so lovely. Just...lovely. I didn't want to stop reading it. There was something about this story that just grabbed me and wouldn't let go.

It should come as no surprise that I was most drawn to the character of Kat. She's twenty five, I'm twenty six. I can identify with her life more readily than the other, wonderful, characters, because we're at a similar stage in our life. And the other characters really were wonderful. I found I enjoyed every one of them and I was invested in every one of their lives. I don't often get that with an ensemble cast (in fact, I try not to read those too much anymore because I find I don't really like them).

If I wanted to get nitpicky, I would say that this novel needs to come with a spoiler warning. The ladies watch several Meryl Streep movies and almost every (if not all of) ending is given away. I wasn't too upset with it since some of the movies that were mentioned I haven't watched yet and probably never will but it was still a little annoying to have the ending of some amazing movies (The Bridges of Madison County, Out of Africa) spoiled for me. And as much as I loved the analyzing of the movies, those were the parts of the book that felt forced. Everything else flowed smoothly and wonderfully but it always halted a bit while they were watching the films.

I found that I really wanted to live in Boothbay Harbor. I love books set in small towns and I find that the ones set in/near Maine seem even more delightful. Someday I'll visit Maine... Anyway, the inn Lolly owns, The Three Captains' Inn, seems fantastic and I would absolutely 100% love to visit Books Brothers, the bookstore June works in. The way March wrote about the town was great and I could almost picture myself in the town while I was reading.

I can't end this post without discussing the romances in this book. Even though there was a hint of an affair in almost all of them, the relationships were all really sweet. Some might say too sweet and too perfect but I think the book needed that. There were so many heavy, family centric issues going on that having happily ever afters in the romance department was almost needed. I'm so happy with the way everything turned out, apart from the obvious tragedy, and that love and family played such an important role in this book.

Even with the little issues I mentioned, I still think Mia March has written an absolutely wonderful novel. I adored The Meryl Streep Movie Club and I think many others would as well. Since it's the season, it could be a great pick for a Christmas gift for your mom, your partner's mom, your grandma, your aunt, your best friend...I really think there's something in it for everyone to enjoy. Besides, who doesn't love Meryl Streep? I cannot wait to read Mia March's second novel, Finding Colin Firth.

Next month I'm going to read Home for Christmas by Cally Taylor. I won it in a contest earlier this year and I've been hanging onto it until this Christmas. I adore Christmas books so I can't wait to dive in!

Review + Giveaway: Kissing My Old Life Au Revoir

When author Eliza Watson asked me to review her novel Kissing My Old Life Au Revoir I read the synopsis and was hooked by the first two words: event planner. After my undergrad I did a diploma in event management and have since planned a few events so I was interested to see what Samantha's life was like. The novel was enjoyable, if a little dramatic at times.

Here's the synopsis:

Event planner Samantha Hunter is prepared for a few challenges when escorting a group of good ole boy beer distributors to Paris, the city of haute cuisine and fine wines. However, she doesn’t foresee being passed up for a promotion because she is too professional and doesn’t knock back beers with her clients.
Her focus soon switches from landing the well-deserved promotion to finding her free-spirited sister, who lives in Paris and has disappeared, leaving behind family secrets to be uncovered. A sexy puppeteer helps Samantha search for clues to her sister’s whereabouts and teaches her to embrace her inner child. And a funeral-crashing psychic demonstrates the importance of living life to the fullest. It takes Samantha’s life spiraling out of control for her to finally get a life.

I know I was looking forward to reading this one because of the event planning aspect but I was happy that this didn't take centre stage. Samantha's not really working for the good majority of the book but it is clear from her personality that she's a planner. She's totally an A-type personality, which is great for event planners (and probably why I'm not actually working in events, haha), and is so focused on her work that she hasn't had a life. I don't think there are enough novels about planners and that's a bit of a shame. Yes, there are many wedding planner books but there are other options. I think this is an untapped source because, like weddings, event planning provides lots of built in drama. One of the first things I learned in school was that something always goes wrong! :)

There were a few things in the book that I felt could have been cut out. There was one unnecessary bit of drama around a situation that is not mentioned in the synopsis and I won't mention it either because it's a surprise in the book. (Confused yet?) Let's just say it involves two men and not knowing how they're involved in things. Moving on! There was also this crazy painter that was obsessed with getting paintings back from Libby and Samantha had to deal with him. I have no idea what the point of this was.

I liked that there was some intrigue in this novel. I think that, in part, helped the novel move along and made sure the story didn't stall or get boring. The family secrets that are uncovered were really interesting and it added more depth to the overall story. I'm really happy with how things turned out, family wise especially, for Samantha and Libby. I also liked that I didn't quite know how the story would end. I had some guesses but I really couldn't predict exactly what would happen.

Overall, Kissing My Old Life Au Revoir by Eliza Watson was enjoyable but there was sometimes too much excess to work through that the main story got a little lost. I'd still recommend this one to women's fiction lovers who are looking for a little something different.

Now, time for the info about the giveaway the title of this post references! Eliza has been kind enough to offer an autographed print copy of her book to a US/Canada winner or an ebook gifted from Amazon, B & N or Smashwords if the winner is international. Entry will be super duper easy. Just leave a comment and let me know why you'd want to travel to Paris (or your dream destination if Paris isn't your cup of tea) or what made you want to travel to Paris (if you're one of those lucky people who have visited). Make sure you leave an email address so I can contact you if you're the winner. Since this review is part of a tour, I'll have the contest open until the last day - August 23rd. You'll have until midnight EST to enter. I've had some people have issues with comments before so if you're unable to comment, tweet me @KaleyS23 or send me an email books.etc.blogger AT gmail DOT com. Good luck!

*I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.*

Congrats to Steph (from Steph the Bookworm) for winning the contest! Thanks to those you entered :)

Blog Tour: Stardust Summer + Giveaway

I'm so happy that I was able to take part in the ABG Reads Tour for Stardust Summer by the lovely Lauren Clark. I've read Lauren's two previous novels, Stay Tuned and Dancing Naked in Dixie, and enjoyed them both and wanted to see what her latest book was like. Happily, I ended up really liking it!

Here's the synopsis:

Single mom Grace Mason doesn’t believe in miracles, magic, or love at first sight. She likes the quiet life, complete with her eight-year-old son, their tiny house, and her teaching job. For Grace, happiness means that nothing much ever changes in Ocean Springs, Mississippi.
Then, one thousand miles away, tragedy strikes. A massive heart attack leaves Grace’s estranged father comatose in an Upstate New York hospital. While a team of doctors fight to keep Henry Mason alive, Grace and Evan rush to his bedside to say their final goodbyes.
Henry’s passing brings little closure for Grace, but she finds herself inexplicably drawn to her new surroundings. What begins as a short trip results in an entire summer spent with Henry’s second wife, Kathleen, and her next-door neighbor, Ryan Gordon, the town doctor. When a series of unlikely events lead to Evan’s disappearance, Grace must face her worst fears to find her son and bring him back home.
Stardust Summer explores the complexities of forgiveness, what it means to be a family, and the fabulous possibility of falling in love—again.

When I read Lauren's other novels, I liked them but wasn't in love with them. I was wondering how I'd feel about her latest but, as I mentioned, this novel surprised me in the best possible way. I was also surprised when Lauren told me, via email, that she had actually written this book several years ago and had put off publishing it. I have no idea why. It was so good.

I was so invested in the characters in this novel. I was immensely sad that Grace and her father were not able to make up before he passed away. I can't imagine the regret she would have because, deep down, she really does still love him. Henry seemed like a great man and I actually wish I could have "met" him while he was alive. But then that would have changed the story so we'll just move on... :)

I do think that Kathleen went through way too much. There were just one too many incidents and I found myself thinking "How much more can this woman take?" I didn't like the last accident, even if it was the reason Grace went back. (How's that for vague and confusing?) That last accident also felt a little disjointed from the overall tone of the novel. But this was really the only thing that didn't sit well with me from this whole book.

Grace was standoffish and almost rude but I was never frustrated with her. I knew there had to be a good reason for how she was acting, I just had to wait for the explanation I knew Clark would give me. Sure enough, I found her actions justified once I was "told" her full story.

I really enjoyed the romance in the novel. It  played a large role but was understated, it didn't take over the novel. Ryan really understood Grace and seemed to know how to deal with her issues and lack of communication. He was patient and waited while she figured out her feelings. It was sweet and I found myself hoping for a happily ever after.

Stardust Summer was a great read. It's sweet and serious and has a great "family is most important" theme. I definitely recommend Lauren Clark's latest novel to fiction lovers!

Bonus! Good news for everyone who now wants to read this book. There's a Rafflecopter giveaway with this tour! Click on the link to go to the entry page. Good luck!

Just Finished: I Couldn't Love You More

I have to start off by sending a huge thank you to Amy Bromberg for contacting me about I Couldn't Love You More by Jillian Medoff. I had already heard a few things about this book before she asked me to give a review so I was intrigued. Happily, all those things I was hearing were true. This book is fantastic.

Here's what the novel is about:

Eliot Gordon would do anything for her family. A 38-year-old working mother, she lives a conventional but fulfilling life in suburban Atlanta with her partner, Grant Delaney, and their three daughters. The two older girls are actually Eliot's stepdaughters, a distinction she is reluctant to make as she valiantly attempts to maintain a safe, happy household . . .

Then Finn Montgomery, Eliot's long-lost first love, appears, triggering a shocking chain of events that threatens to unravel everything she's worked for. How Eliot survives-and what she loses in the process-is a story that will resonate with anyone who has ever loved a child. With hilarious honesty, wrenching depth, and a knockout twist, I COULDN'T LOVE YOU MORE illuminates the unbreakable bonds of family and reveals the lengths we'll go to save each other, even as we can't save ourselves.

Those of you who follow Jennifer Weiner on Twitter may recognize this as a book that she's been promoting the heck out of. (And those of you who aren't following her - why not? Click here and follow away. She's hilarious!) Now that I've finished reading I Couldn't Love You More I totally see why she wants everyone to read it. It's amazing. In fact, I tweeted as such as soon as I finished the book and SHE ACTUALLY REPLIED. I get a huge thrill any time an author I've read replies to me on Twitter but this was Jennifer Freaking Weiner. And since I was so excited about it I have supplied the screenshot of that Tweet. Because I'm cool like that.

I don't find it that surprising that Weiner is loving this novel as I found Medoff's story and writing to be quite similar to Weiner's. The story focuses on a family issue, which is common in Weiner's works. Eliot is funny, flawed, and, most importantly, real - like all of Weiner's heroines (at least the ones I've read about, anyway).

I was so involved in Eliot's life and story that I felt tied up in knots when I was reading about what happened. This is a huge indicator for me. If I'm physically affected by the character's story, it means I am loving it. I felt for Eliot and I was hoping like crazy that things would work out for her in the end.

My reviewing system goes like this: I read the synopsis, agree to review the book, then a little while later I'll read the novel without rereading the synopsis. This allows me to be surprised all over again when I'm reading. In this case I was really glad this is the way I work because it gave me some more surprises than I would have had otherwise. I started reading this expecting one outcome and I got something completely different - and I loved that. There's so much going on in this book but it never felt slow or too jam packed. Everything gets explained and resolved in due time, which was great for me.

There's so much I could say about this book but I can't seem to find the words to explain how wonderful I Couldn't Love You More is. It has wonderful characters - you can't help but love Eliot's large and slightly dysfunctional family - as well as a plot that grips you and doesn't let you go. I read half the book in one sitting because I couldn't put it down. Yes, it's that good. I would highly recommend this book to everyone.

Intrigued? Good because I some exciting news for all of you! I have an extra copy of I Couldn't Love You More up for grabs! Thank the publisher (Hachette Book Group) for accidentally sending me two copies. Instead of being greedy and giving it to one of my friends (I know many of them would love it) I have decided to hold my very first giveaway! Yay! Also, Jillian has agreed to send a signed book plate to the winner! I'm making it very simple for you all to enter. Leave a comment with your email address (you can use AT and DOT to avoid spam) before midnight on Friday June 29. It's open to anyone in Canada and the US (because I HATE when contests are US only). If for some reason you're having issues commenting, mention me on Twitter (@KaleyS23) and I'll include you in the draw. I'll choose a winner and contact them over the weekend. How does that sound to everyone? Good, I hope! Comment away!

Happy reading (and commenting!) :)

***Congrats to Bethie! She's won a copy of I Couldn't Love You More!***

Chick Lit Plus Blog Tour: With Just One Click

Raise your hand if you're on Facebook. Come on, I know almost all of you have an account - including my grandmother (Hi Mam!). If you're one of the many people who log on to Facebook regularly, you can identify with the characters in Amanda Strong's novel With Just One Click. This review is part of another blog tour arranged by Samantha over at Chick Lit Plus, and I'd like to thank both her and Amanda for letting me be involved!

As usual, I'll start of with the synopsis from Goodreads:

"Reluctance was matched with a pit in my stomach; once I joined, anyone could randomly find me...did I really want to be found?" Chloe, a successful movie reviewer and serial dater, finds herself added as a friend by her first love. The one who left her at seventeen standing with a note in her hand as he simply walked away. Will she allow herself to open old wounds? Morgan, a loyal stay-at-home mom and wife, discovers one of her husband's friends is his very single and flirtatious ex-girlfriend from high school. Will obsession and jealousy tear her solid marriage apart when she hunts for the truth? Brynn, a lonely forty year-old living with her two distant teenage children and workaholic husband, fights temptation while revisiting the past with one of her friends. Will her deception destroy her family? Three lives changed forever WITH JUST ONE CLICK. Confirming a friend isn't as simple as it seems... but do these women have more in common than just Facebook?

I really enjoyed this book. It was very character driven and I loved that. I'm going to start with the one thing I didn't love and then move on to other, better things! I usually really don't like books that have multiple characters who don't know each other at the beginning of the novel. Eventually there is a connection but if it doesn't happen soon enough I would sometimes lose interest. So, I was a little frustrated that the characters, Chloe, Morgan, and Brynn, didn't appear to know each other when I started the book. I plugged along though and was happy I did. Even though I was frustrated because I didn't know how the women knew each other (and I knew they had to...somehow...) I got involved in their lives anyway and wanted to find out what happened with them. It was somewhat confusing, particularily with Morgan and Brynn because I couldn't remember who was married to which man and how old their kids were. It was much easier to keep Chloe and her story straight. Eventually I told myself to read the stories as if they were separate short stories and trust that I would eventually find out how they knew each other. PS the way the know each other is quite clever and I never would have guessed that was the link!

Speaking of Chloe, I think she was my favourite character...I know it may seem wrong to pick a favourite, but in books like this there is always one character who I seem to be more interested in and drawn to. In this book, it was Chloe. Part of that may be because she's closer to my age and current stage in life. It was easier to identify with her starting a serious relationship than with Morgan and Brynn who were already married with kids. Not to say I didn't like them - it was just harder to relate to them and their story lines seemed a little more...serious. Morgan's trying to deal with a potential homewrecker while finding balance with her stay at home mom life. Luckily, she's got two adorable children and amazing friends who understand her situation and are always there for her. Brynn isn't happy with her marriage and life and finds a part time job to try and compensate. Her husband doesn't seem engaged with her and her teenage kids don't want to have anything to do with her. See what I mean? For a twenty something year old, it's a little easier to relate to a woman who's trying to move up even more in her career while balancing a new and serious relationship. It may also have had something to do with the fact that Chloe and Kyle were dealing with a long distance relationship - I'm doing the same thing, but we're luckily in the same province, not on opposite sides of the country!

While the characters definitely drove the story, there was also a very interesting aspect of social media going on. Each woman has their own obsession with Facebook and deals with the popular site in a different way. I have to admit...I sort of judged them for their habits. When I first signed up for Facebook it was right when all universities and college students were allowed to sign up...but no one else. I was in first year and it was great to stay in touch with friends who had either stayed back for an extra semester of high school or went to another university. Gradually more and more people were allowed to get a Facebook account - first anyone with a student email address and now anyone over 13 can have an account (and some even under 13 who get around the system). Because of when I signed up, I sort of grew along with Facebook. I learned early on that posting anything and everything was not a good idea and to keep an eye on my privacy settings - especially when it came time to find a job after graduation. This likely wasn't the case with Chloe, Morgan, and Brynn. They all came into Facebook late in the game when it was super popular and all their friends were on it. I can definitely understand their obsession with it because I had it too for awhile (and now it's kind of switched to Twitter...) but I cringed every time they posted something revealing and talked about their kids all the time. But maybe that's just me. All that being said, I loved the Facebook connection that was woven through all three stories. It shows that social networking has changed our society, for better or for worse, and we all need to learn to adapt to it.

Overall, I loved this book. It was fun for me to learn about the characters and I genuinely cared what happened to them. I was happy when they were happy, and sad when they were sad. Strong had a clever way for them to all be connected and I am so glad that they were. It seemed to wrap it up nicely for me. Not only did this novel have a great storyline but there was such an awesome integration of social media. Anyone with a Facebook account can relate to the issues the three women and their friends faced and I loved that. I highly recommend this book. You won't be disappointed!

Chick Lit Plus Blog Tour: Family Pieces

Welcome to my third blog tour post! First of all, THANK YOU to Samantha at Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours for organizing this tour and for Misa Rush for sending me her debut novel to review.

Let's start with the synopsis from Goodreads:

What do you do when your once charmed life falls to pieces?

Karsen Woods' life seems charmed from her hunkalicious boyfriend to her picture-perfect midwestern roots. Away at college, even the necklace she wears serves as a constant connection home - a family tradition created when her grandfather handmade each immediate relative an interlinking charm. Each piece crafted in the shape of a puzzle piece, each one interlinking perfectly together. But when the unexpected death of her mother turns her world upside down, she discovers there is a missing piece of her treasured family tradition and her life as she once knew it may never be the same.

Addison Reynolds resides in her posh Manhattan condominium and wraps her personal identity around running Urbane, the magazine empire built by her father. In a moment of haste, Addison divulges her deepest secret to her closest friend Emily - a secret she never intended to disclose.

Could one choice, one secret, bond two unlikely women forever?

When I started reading this book I honestly wasn't too sure what to expect. Happily, what I found was a book I thoroughly enjoyed and would definitely recommend to others. I will warn you that this post may seem a little disorganized and incomplete. This is because I don't want to give anything away and there are little twists that I don't want to spoil for anyone. Bear with me, please?

Normally I do not like books that start off with two or more characters who don't know each other and have seemingly nothing in common until halfway through the book when they meet. Drives. Me. Nuts. With that being said, I was a little concerned when I realized that the two main characters, Karsen and Addison, had no idea who the other was when the book started. Not to worry though! I knew at page 16 they were somehow connected, figured out how they were connected at page 37, and these hunches were confirmed at page 178. For those of you who have read this book already - were you able to figure out the twists?
You may think that I wouldn't enjoy the book so much if I had the main plot twist sorted out pretty early on. But that actually wasn't the case. I liked that it was predictable but not formulaic. Does that make sense? It was predictable in the fact that there were the typical devices that are found in most chick lit books along with the fact that I had it essentially figured out. However, it wasn't like any chick lit novel I had ever read before. Yes, the twist is found in other stories but it's done in a fresh and unique way in Family Pieces.

The one thing that did bother me was the fact that the two main women, Karsen and Addison, were not as three dimensional as I would have liked. I think this is because there were so many secondary characters that had such a huge impact on the novel and the story's progression - Brad, Hanna, Russell, Jacob, and Emily. There was also James...I won't say anything else about him, except that I had a hunch about how this plot line would go too. I was on fire! Anyway, I liked all the other characters and am so glad they were there but I wish I knew more about Karsen and Addison. The one thing that I really wanted to know was how Karsen went from being in school for science (PS kudos to her! There's no way I could do that. I'll stick with my Bachelor of Arts degree, thank you.) to what she ends up doing at the end of the novel. And I'm not even entirely sure what that is. This little issue with the novel definitely wasn't a deal breaker for me, just something that could have made the book even better.

This novel takes a family and tests them way beyond normal limits in a short period of time. While that had the potential to seem like horribly bad karma, Rush makes it work. There's the massive hit that Karsen takes when she finds out her mother has died, and then it's followed with quick one, two, three punches that keep delivering the hits. What makes this all bearable is the fact that Karsen has such an amazing family system, which is kind of the key to whole novel. A family may start with blood relatives but it can grow to include best friends and even people who start out as complete strangers. I loved that about this book - that everyone had a connection with each other, and such a powerful one, but it was believable. It really makes you take a minute to think about your own family and the people you're so close to and realize how important they are.

Overall, I loved the book. Flew through it because I needed to know what was going to happen but was sad when it was over. Even though there was an epilogue, I still wanted to know how things really worked out for everyone. I suggest you track down this book and read it. You won't be disappointed :)

Please join Chick Lit Plus and Misa on Thursday June 23rd at 6 pm CST (7 pm EST) for a TwitParty! Use the hashtag #CLPMisa to ask your questions and participate!

Stay tuned because I have a guest post from Misa for Tuesday!

Currently Reading: The Christmas Clock

Ah, the joys of the Christmas season. I love it. So much, in fact, that I am still reading Christmas stories. I wish I could prolong the holiday even more, but eventually, all the Christmasiness (yes, I'm making up words)
will be gone and I have to create it on my own. Right now, every thing is still in holiday mode since New Year's Eve is tomorrow (expect a resolutions type post soon!) and people are still visiting family and taking time off work. There are also lovely marathons happening on pretty much every specialty channel. I'm currently flipping between HGTV (Property Virgins) and Food Network (Challenges) while I'm writing this.

I just started reading The Christmas Clock by Kat Martin today and I absolutely love it. It was just released last October and I remember seeing it at work and wanting to read it. Unfortunately, I never got around to it. While I was working this year I happened upon it again and made a note so I would remember to check the library for it (side note: I finallllly got a library card!). Lucky for me, it was there!

I'm just over halfway through the novel, and like I said, I am in love with it - the story, the characters, the tone. It's a small book (eleven chapters, 145 pages, all packaged in a tiny hardcover) so if you're looking for a short novel to read next Christmas in between the five bazillion things you have to do, this is the one for you.

What I really love about this novel so far is that it has the true spirit of Christmas. Lottie Sparks is suffering from a form of Alzheimer's that is rapidly progressing and her biggest worry is that she will not be able to find a home for her eight year old grandson, Teddy, before she is no longer able to take care of him. She's slowly losing her memory, but every time she sees this old Victorian clock in a shop window she remembers her childhood. Teddy knows how much she loves the clock and desperately wants to buy it for her for Christmas.

The Teddy-Lottie storyline was the only one I knew about when I got into reading this, but there is actually a romantic story woven through as well. Sylvia Winters and Joe Dixon used to be in love and were engaged but all of a sudden, Sylvia up and left the small town and moved to the city. Now she's back in town and they are trying to figure out how to get used to seeing each other again. Both of them are in pain and it really gets to me the way things turned out with them. I desperately hope they can work things out.

I'll give you all an update when I finish the novel and let you know if it continued to be a fantastic book!

I hope you all had a magnificent Christmas (I sure did!) and have a Happy New Year as well! :)

Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells

My Christmas Tree for 2010!

'Tis the season for an abundance of Christmas loveliness.

One of the (many) things I love about this holiday is the number of books, tv specials, and movies that are available. It's amazing. Right now, for example, I am watching The Holiday, an excellent movie to start the Christmas season. I've had some crazy Decembers in the last five years, which meant that I never had much time to read a lot of Christmas-themed books before the actual holiday. Christmas movies, on the other hand, were one of the only things to help my roommates and I through finals. We had a tradition, the girls and I. Every year we would order the festive special from Swiss Chalet, make a gingerbread house, exchange our Secret Santa gifts, and watch Love Actually. Of course, sometimes we would drag this out over the few weeks of exams to make things more festive around the house. (In full disclosure, we kept our tree up one year until about March or April. Part was laziness, part was that it was amusing as hell). I really miss you girls!

I'm not sure when my mom and I became particularly obsessed with reading Christmas books but we most definitely are. Since I was away at school she would be the one to go to the library and borrow at least five Christmas books (again, in full disclosure, most of them romances) for the two of us to read. I haven't been able to get any yet this year (since I've just moved I haven't gotten around to checking out the library here. Shocking, I know) but my plan is to find some soon!

In the meantime, however, I will watch a multitude of Christmas movies and tv shows. Like I said, I'm watching The Holiday right now. I just watched a movie on the W Network on Monday while I was holed up in a (very nice) hotel room. I'm not ashamed to say that watching that movie pretty much made my night! I love that there are so many different things to watch on tv, classics like Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, and Miracle on 34th Street, as well as newer movies like Santa Baby and Love Actually. Just like Christmas books, I like my holiday movies with a focus on romance. What can I say? I'm a girl and am a sucker for a (slightly cheesy) love story.

It's fun to watch some of the movies that focus on Santa and the North Pole. I think I like those ones because, for an hour or so, I can pretend that Santa still exists and can feel like I did when I was a kid. Ridiculous? Maybe. But I'm sure that was what they intended when they made some of these movies.

I think the thing I love about all the movies and books with a Christmas theme is that they remind me of what the holiday is really all about. It's not about buying a ton of gifts and spending lots of money, or having a massive wish list. It's about family, traditions, and spending time with the people you love. I think those ideas kind of get lost in the crowds, sometimes quite literally. I love getting gifts for people and finding the perfect gift for someone. What I hate is having to fight with all the crowds at the malls trying to get that perfect gift. But, sometimes it's worth it, when that person opens that gift and absolutely loves it. Right?

I don't think I'm the only one who is totally obsessed with Christmas and all the fun to be had around this holiday. Anyone want to weigh in on this? I'd love to hear other people's thoughts. :) It must get boring, reading about my ideas all the time!

I'm sure this won't be the last Christmas post I write this year, so stay tuned for more holiday goodness! Night!