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Tuesday, December 31, 2019

#ATBR2019 Review: The Forbidden Door by Dean Koontz @jessmapreviews #bravethebacklist #fallintomybacklist

The Forbidden Door 
by Dean Koontz


Publisher: Bantam
Publish Date: September 11, 2018
Hardcover
467 Pages
Series: Jane Hawk #4
Genres: Thriller, Suspense

“We’re rewriting the play, and the play is this country, the world, the future. We break Jane’s heart, we’ll also break her will.”
She was one of the FBI’s top agents until she became the nation’s most-wanted fugitive. Now Jane Hawk may be all that stands between a free nation and its enslavement by a powerful secret society’s terrifying mind-control technology. She couldn’t save her husband, or the others whose lives have been destroyed, but equipped with superior tactical and survival skills—and the fury born of a broken heart and a hunger for justice—Jane has struck major blows against the insidious cabal.
But Jane’s enemies are about to hit back hard. If their best operatives can’t outrun her, they mean to bring her running to them, using her five-year-old son as bait. Jane knows there’s no underestimating their capabilities, but she must battle her way back across the country to the remote shelter where her boy is safely hidden . . . for now.
As she moves resolutely forward, new threats begin to emerge: a growing number of brain-altered victims driven hopelessly, violently insane. With the madness spreading like a virus, the war between Jane and her enemies will become a fight for all their lives—against the lethal terror unleashed from behind the forbidden door.
My Review:
OH Koontz.... I'm still unsure whether I prefer his standalones or his series.  His Odd Thomas series and Jane Hawk make me fall in love with these characters but sometimes I wonder if it's dragging out just a *little* too much.  Yes, I fall into that category sometimes with thrillers where the standalones almost feel rushed for the story they're trying to tell... SO, I adore that Koontz is giving us the full on story of Hawk.  But unfortunately like with most series, some fall short where others really leave you hanging.
Book three really gave me an OMG, NOW WHAT feeling when I finished and now here we are, at book four, setting us for what I believe is the final installment in book five.  We still get that go go go feeling where Hawk has to leap frog through various obstacles to take one more step to get where she needs to go. And listen, NOTHING WILL STOP A MOTHER FROM GETTING TO THEIR CHILD.  Especially ones with the skills Hawk has. 
My absolute favorite parts of this book were the chapters with Travis (Hawk's son) and Cornell.  Oh my heart. This is where Koontz shines.  And yes y'all, dogs are involved - as they are with most of his books and I don't care - I LOVE IT ALL. 
What can I really say?  This one feels a bit like a filler book like book 2 did... but much better executed.  I do highly recommend these are read in order or you will be lost.  I am definitely involved with this whole story line and am rooting for Hawk in her endeavors.  Luckily I have book 5 on my shelf so I can finally see how this whole shin dig goes down!
★★★☆
Jessica's Review:

This is book four in the Jane Hawk series from Dean Koontz and I highly recommend starting with book one in this series (The Silent Corner) because there are a lot of details that you’ll need as well as character development to be able to follow along the best. Going into this I was thinking book four might be the final book in the series, but with the events that happened there is definitely going to be at least one more.
Jane Hawk is back and just as fierce and bad ass as she was in the rest of the series. I think she really is the best part of the series – I know the events are suspenseful and crazy because (at least in book one) the events felt entirely possible. Trying to fight an all-powerful society that is putting out mind-control technology is still after her. Going from a respected FBI agent to the most wanted fugitive, she has her work cut out for her. She’s still on the run and continues to hit more obstacles in her quest to bring down this society before they can release a virus (similar to the 28 days later virus).
This series seems to have been hit or miss for me – I loved book one, book two was my least favorite (upon further review and going back to the book) and felt more like filler to get us to the next book, and book three was really good! This one seemed to have a lot more detail that didn’t completely progress the story but it was still a read that kept my attention. I’ll be curious to see where book five goes and if it will end up finishing the series!
3 stars

#ATBR2019 Review: Good Girls Lie by J.T. Ellison @harlequinbooks @jessmapreviews

Good Girls Lie 
by J.T. Ellison


Publisher: MIRA
Publish Date: December 31, 2019
Paperback
464 Pages
Standalone
Genres: Contemporary, Thriller, Mystery

Perched atop a hill in the tiny town of Marchburg, Virginia, The Goode School is a prestigious prep school known as a Silent Ivy. The boarding school of choice for daughters of the rich and influential, it accepts only the best and the brightest. Its elite status, long-held traditions and honor code are ideal for preparing exceptional young women for brilliant futures at Ivy League universities and beyond. But a stranger has come to Goode, and this ivy has turned poisonous.


In a world where appearances are everything, as long as students pretend to follow the rules, no one questions the cruelties of the secret societies or the dubious behavior of the privileged young women who expect to get away with murder. But when a popular student is found dead, the truth cannot be ignored. Rumors suggest she was struggling with a secret that drove her to suicide.

But look closely…because there are truths and there are lies, and then there is everything that really happened.

J.T. Ellison’s pulse-pounding new novel examines the tenuous bonds of friendship, the power of lies and the desperate lengths people will go to to protect their secrets.

My Review:




My fourth Ellison book and let me tell y'all. I just love her. Her wicked mind, the crazy stories she comes up with and the ease in which it is to read her writing. Take all those things and add it in with a boarding school/secret society-esque type story and I am here for it for every page.

I'm completely torn with this read. I was intrigued enough to continue page after page but it wasn't until around the 300 page mark that it really captured my interest. The pages leading up to this gave me no clue to what was actually going on. There are different POVs throughout the read and sometimes it's difficult to determine whose mind you're in with each chapter.... when I got toward the end, I understood why. However, it still was a bit eyebrow pinching.

Once a couple reveals came about, I unfortunately wasn't exactly wowed. It wasn't quite what I was expecting yet wasn't really a surprise either. There is one part in the epilogue that did make me smirk and I was pretty happy with it. I dunno you guys.

Was I entertained? Yes, I was. I think had it not taken 300 pages to fully capture my attention, I may have liked this one more. Ellison is a favorite author of mine. So far Lie to Me is my favorite of hers but each book I've read has made my thriller heart happy. This is still a fantastic thriller read and I appreciate where Ellison was taking us readers. I just wish I had bonded with this story earlier than I did.




★★★

Jessica's Review:



J.T. Ellison quickly became an auto-buy author for me and that certainly hasn’t changed! GOOD GIRLS LIE is my fourth book by Ellison and I’m reminded every time why I love her thrillers. The dark and twisty stories she weaves for us are always ones that grab my attention.
As the title suggests, there are plenty of lies and that brings tons of drama with it. Who doesn’t love drama in an all-girls prep school? Ellison gives us the dark and complicated sides to any teenage girl friendship, secret societies within the prep school, hazing, and plenty to keep you on your toes and flipping those pages. I will say that this one was a little slower moving than her previous reads, but if you go into this knowing that then I think you’ll enjoy it a lot more!
It took me a little bit to really get invested in the story, but I think that’s more of a me thing because I’ve seen plenty of reviews that disagree with that. Once I got hooked I couldn’t stop. We get to see through the eyes of multiple characters, something I will continue to enjoy in the thriller genre, and this helps build the never-ending tension.
Overall, not my favorite from Ellison but one I would still highly recommend! I only took it down a little from a 4 star read because it took me a little longer to get invested than her previous books. If you want a drama-filled, psychological thriller, then this is the one for you
3.5 stars



#ATBR2019 Review: The Network by L.C. Shaw @LCShawAuthor @harpercollins @jessmapreviews

The Network
by L.C. Shaw

Thank you HarperCollins for these copies! One of the final reviews for All The Book Reviews - Jess and I have been BUSY this year!


Publisher: Harper Collins
Publish Date: December 17, 2019
Paperback
416 Pages
Series: Jack Logan #1
Genre: Thriller

A pulse-pounding, page-turning thriller involving corruption, secrets, and lies at the very deepest levels of government and media.

Late one night, investigative journalist Jack Logan receives a surprise visit from U.S. Senator Malcolm Phillips at his New York apartment. Disheveled and in a panic, the senator swears that he’s about to be murdered and pleads with Jack to protect his wife Taylor, who happens to be the only woman Jack has ever truly loved.

Days later, Phillips is found dead in a hotel room in Micronesia, the apparent victim of an allergy attack. While the nation mourns, Jack and Taylor race to find the one man who knows the truth. As they’re pursued by unknown assailants, their desperate hunt leads them to the Institute, an immense facility shrouded in mystery that has indoctrinated a generation of America’s political and media power players. Led by the enigmatic Damon Crosse, the Institute has its tentacles everywhere—but Taylor unknowingly holds the secret to the one thing that Crosse needs to carry out his plan.  

Taking readers on a thrill ride from the back halls of Congress to the high-rise offices of Madison Avenue and a remote Greek island, The Network is a provocative, pulse-pounding novel that dares to ask the question: who’s really in charge?

My Review:


So many things with this read! This is pretty action packed - starts off strong and continues without much hiccup.  A U.S. Senator found dead.  His wife's ex sent to protect her because now she's in danger too.  They have a past and are on a course to find someone named Jeremy who can shed some light on everything.  Enter evil man Crosse and the Institute that has its hands in so many parts of this world - trying to dictate it in one certain trajectory.

I was having a ton of fun with this book.  The only real issue I have is the clear line between good and evil when I think there are always shades of gray.  Also I wasn't expecting a bit of faith/religious tones to be brought into this, which kind of put me off since I'm not a particularly religious person... What started with one feel of the story went a bit of a different direction I wasn't quite expecting.  But there also were certain things that seemed standard and you could see where certain parts were coming.  I felt myself nodding as I was checking the thriller boxes. 

There was one scene I did clap for and I hope you know which part that is when you read this book.  I'm so curious where Shaw will take these characters in the next book.  Are the people they are trusting now really trustworthy? Or are they also a part of the master plan?  I'm not convinced on anything except for Beau... because dogs can't be conspirators... right? 

★★★☆

Jessica's Review:


This book is in the subgenre that I absolutely love - political thriller. THE NETWORK by L.C. Shaw is a great example as to why I love this genre. Nonstop action, conspiracies, a secret society that is all-powerful, an investigative journalist, and a Senator's death that is all at the center of it. I'm really happy to see that this is book one in a new series because I can't wait to see where this goes!

An investigative journalist, Jack Logan, has his world turned upside down when a US Senator shows up at his door. Convinced he's going to be murdered and needs to get information to Jack before it's too late. He leaves an envelope and garage remote with instructions to find his wife, Taylor. Of course, Jack and Taylor have a history, just to complicate things. Because, why not? I love it. 

When Jack sees the alert that the Senator is dead all hell breaks loose. He knows he must get to Taylor and keep her safe, which is easier said than done when secrets are involved. The author brings us through two different timelines - Jack and Taylor's current predicament and then another story taking place in 1975. The less said about that the better, but the Institute comes into play!

Overall, a great thriller with plenty of conspiracies and action to keep you pinned to the pages. I can't wait for more in this series and I loved the combination of Jack and Taylor. Having to work together and through their underlying trust issues made for a dynamic team. So many secrets and the right amount of over the top, I would definitely recommend this to political thriller fans!

4 stars


Saturday, December 28, 2019

Review: Hidden Bodies by Caroline Kepnes

Hidden Bodies 
by Caroline Kepnes


Publisher: Atria/Emily Bestler Books
Publish Date: February 23, 2016
Kindle Edition
448 Pages
Series: You #2
Genre: Psychological Thriller


In the compulsively readable sequel to her widely acclaimed debut novel, You, Caroline Kepnes weaves a tale that Booklist calls “the love child of Holden Caulfield and Patrick Bateman.”



Joe Goldberg is no stranger to hiding bodies. In the past ten years, this thirty-something has buried four of them, collateral damage in his quest for love. Now he’s heading west to Los Angeles, the city of second chances, determined to put his past behind him.

In Hollywood, Joe blends in effortlessly with the other young upstarts. He eats guac, works in a bookstore, and flirts with a journalist neighbor. But while others seem fixated on their own reflections, Joe can’t stop looking over his shoulder. The problem with hidden bodies is that they don’t always stay that way. They re-emerge, like dark thoughts, multiplying and threatening to destroy what Joe wants most: true love. And when he finds it in a darkened room in Soho House, he’s more desperate than ever to keep his secrets buried. He doesn’t want to hurt his new girlfriend—he wants to be with her forever. But if she ever finds out what he’s done, he may not have a choice…

My Review:


After reading You, I instantly had purchased this one because HELLO JOE I LOVE YOU.  But then for some reason it kind of slipped my vision and reviews came in that weren't quite that favorable.  Even the best reviews were saying this didn't live up to You...  and you know what? I would have to agree.

I don't feel we have the same Joe here.  Maybe he's evolving after leaving - or maybe this is what LA and Hollywood just does to you. (*wink*).  But something felt a bit *off* with his character as a whole.  Thank goodness for Love - because even in some of her vapidness, I found myself to drawn to her.  Weirdly she's bringing out the best in him and I'm not even quite sure what that means!

It was nice to be back in his head again - there's just something about Joe you can connect with on a base level.  How he gets laid so much is beyond me though.  I realize he's supposed to be charming and manipulative but WOW.  It can get a bit convoluted at times.  At one point I was like ok ok ok... but HOW ... HOW DOES blah blah blah (sorry guys, no spoiling here).  And then we get that ending and honestly, this is what saved it for me. 

I hear there's a book 3 coming and you best believe I'll be reading it.  I can't wait to get home tomorrow to binge season 2 and see how they bring in pieces of this book into the adaptation.  While I also still see a bit of Gossip Girl in Penn, I think he plays Joe remarkably creepy and delicious.

★★★


Thursday, December 26, 2019

#ATBR2019 Review: The Wives by Tarryn Fisher @DarkMarkTarryn @jessmapreviews @harlequinbooks

The Wives by 
Tarryn Fisher 


Thank you Graydon House for these copies!


Publisher: Graydon House
Publish Date: December 30, 2019
Paperback
336 Pages
Standalone
Genre: Psychological Thriller


Imagine that your husband has two other wives.


You’ve never met the other wives. None of you know each other, and because of this unconventional arrangement, you can see your husband only one day a week. But you love him so much you don’t care. Or at least that’s what you’ve told yourself.

But one day, while you’re doing laundry, you find a scrap of paper in his pocket—an appointment reminder for a woman named Hannah, and you just know it’s another of the wives.

You thought you were fine with your arrangement, but you can’t help yourself: you track her down, and, under false pretenses, you strike up a friendship. Hannah has no idea who you really are. Then, Hannah starts showing up to your coffee dates with telltale bruises, and you realize she’s being abused by her husband. Who, of course, is also your husband. But you’ve never known him to be violent, ever.

Who exactly is your husband, and how far would you go to find the truth? Would you risk your own life?

And who is his mysterious third wife?



My Review:




I'm not crazy, YOU'RE CRAZY. I binge read this on my flight this morning and it is worth every insane page.  It's one thing to find out you're the other woman, it's another thing to be ok with being the other woman and it's a whole OTHER thing to be ok with being one of three wives.  WIVES. 

Seth just wants a child, he just doesn't want to give up his women.  And if wife one and two won't get the job done... well, hello wife number three.  But wife two, Thursday, whose mind we get the privy of following throughout the read, is beginning to feel like the middle child.  Seth wants to be a bit different than his polygamist family - he doesn't want his wives to meet.  When Thursday get a tiny peek into the world of one, let the obsession begin... especially as things come to light about Seth that couldn't possibly be the husband SHE knows.

Listen, this book goes all kinds of sideways and I loved every minute of it.  I was trucking along, whistling and minding my business and all of the sudden it went left and I was left wondering where the hell it could possibly go NOW. And from there it was a mass state of IS IT OR IS IT NOT OR IS IT SOMETHING ELSE.  In any which way, I was enjoying the bumpy ride, eating my popcorn and watching it all happen.

I absolutely adore Fisher's writing style. If she writes it, I'm reading it. That is THAT.  And this one is quite the binge read.  Take it for what it's worth.  An insane romp in the hands of a woman named Thursday whose final scene brought the BIGGEST SMILE to my face.  Add this one to your TBR, thriller lovers.  Put on your seat belts... or don't! Just enjoy crazy lane because it's the funnest street to be on in this neighborhood.

★★★★★

Jessica's Review:


Holy crap. When Chandra tells you a book is a binge read, you believe her. I started this one at the worst possible time and I had to bring it with me to read in the car. Normally I get sick when I do that, but I was willing to risk it in order to finish this crazy book! THE WIVES by Tarryn Fisher is one hell of a ride from start to finish.

Thursday is married to a successful and loving husband, but she has a secret no one else knows about. Seth has not one, but two other wives. She knows them only by the days of the week that Seth spends with them. The rules are, no names and no details of his life with his other two wives. Thursday is the second wife, and his legal wife, so that gives her the edge, right? Well, her curiosity begins to get the best of her and she feels a sudden need to find out more about wives one and three.

What follows is a crazy rollercoaster as Thursday goes behind Seth's back to find out more about Regina (wife one) and Hannah (wife three). I don't want to spoil anything else because I think this one is perfect to go into with as little info as possible. I started this only knowing that Chandra LOVED it and that was enough for me!

I would highly recommend this to anyone wanting that binge-worthy thriller. This will be one you want to make sure you have a good chunk of time set aside because once you start it you'll find it really difficult to pull yourself away! I found a new auto-buy author and it looks like it's time to go pick up more from Fisher.

5 stars

Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Review: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Red Queen 
by Victoria Aveyard


Publisher: HarperTeen
Publish Date: February 10, 2015
Hardcover
383 Pages
Series: Red Queen #1
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Sci-Fi

This is a world divided by blood - red or silver. The Reds are commoners, ruled by a Silver elite in possession of god-like superpowers. And to Mare Barrow, a seventeen-year-old Red girl from the poverty-stricken Stilts, it seems like nothing will ever change. That is until she finds herself working in the Silver Palace. Here, surrounded by the people she hates the most, Mare discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy the balance of power. Fearful of Mare's potential, the Silvers hide her in plain view, declaring her a long-lost Silver princess, now engaged to a Silver prince. Despite knowing that one misstep would mean her death, Mare works silently to help the Red Guard, a militant resistance group, and bring down the Silver regime. But this is a world of betrayal and lies, and Mare has entered a dangerous dance - Reds against Silvers, prince against prince, and Mare against her own heart.

My Review:


I haven't read a YA, fantasy, sci-fi book in quite some time and I think that helps as this is nothing too original to this genre.  We find ourselves in a typical story line of a girl who comes from the "wrong side of the tracks", i.e. she's a Red, who meets a mysterious boy (can you see already where this is going?).  Finds herself in "better" circumstances due to said boy just for a mysterious power to arrive and ZOOM, let's get going.  Yes there's a bit of a love triangle, yes she's moody and unpredictable and you want to slap her at times.  Buttttt  YESSSSS there are powers!! The Silvers have abilities, which make them "better" and here we have the divide. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN SOMETHING UNEXPECTED OCCURS?! OH THE MUTALITY OF IT ALL.  *wink*

I absolutely loved this book at the beginning, all the predictable events and all.  Why? Because I just love these types of reads.  I'll admit though that it did lose a bit of the shine during the last half.  *shrug*  Look y'all, I know what to expect from these types of reads so while it is nice to find some originality once in a while, I read this for entertainment.   And this one definitely did entertain.  Was I wowed? No.  Was I having fun with it? Yes.  Do I want lightning power?  YES!  

I'll definitely read book 2 as I'm curious where this will go but that book will determine whether I continue fully with the series.  

Huge thank you to Danielle (@bookishrhetor) and Bev (@theconstantvoice) for this buddy read.  Even if it took 3 years to get there, right Bev?  hahaha

★★★☆ 

Monday, December 23, 2019

BLOG TOUR: Good Girls Lie by J.T. Ellison @harlequinbooks


Good Girls Lie 
by J.T. Ellison




Perched atop a hill in the tiny town of Marchburg, Virginia, The Goode School is a prestigious prep school known as a Silent Ivy. The boarding school of choice for daughters of the rich and influential, it accepts only the best and the brightest. Its elite status, long-held traditions and honor code are ideal for preparing exceptional young women for brilliant futures at Ivy League universities and beyond. But a stranger has come to Goode, and this ivy has turned poisonous.

In a world where appearances are everything, as long as students pretend to follow the rules, no one questions the cruelties of the secret societies or the dubious behavior of the privileged young women who expect to get away with murder. But when a popular student is found dead, the truth cannot be ignored. Rumors suggest she was struggling with a secret that drove her to suicide.

But look closely…because there are truths and there are lies, and then there is everything that really happened.

J.T. Ellison’s pulse-pounding new novel examines the tenuous bonds of friendship, the power of lies and the desperate lengths people will go to to protect their secrets.

My Review:



My fourth Ellison book and let me tell y'all. I just love her. Her wicked mind, the crazy stories she comes up with and the ease in which it is to read her writing. Take all those things and add it in with a boarding school/secret society-esque type story and I am here for it for every page.

I'm completely torn with this read. I was intrigued enough to continue page after page but it wasn't until around the 300 page mark that it really captured my interest. The pages leading up to this gave me no clue to what was actually going on. There are different POVs throughout the read and sometimes it's difficult to determine whose mind you're in with each chapter.... when I got toward the end, I understood why. However, it still was a bit eyebrow pinching.

Once a couple reveals came about, I unfortunately wasn't exactly wowed. It wasn't quite what I was expecting yet wasn't really a surprise either. There is one part in the epilogue that did make me smirk and I was pretty happy with it. I dunno you guys.

Was I entertained? Yes, I was. I think had it not taken 300 pages to fully capture my attention, I may have liked this one more. Ellison is a favorite author of mine. So far Lie to Me is my favorite of hers but each book I've read has made my thriller heart happy. This is still a fantastic thriller read and I appreciate where Ellison was taking us readers. I just wish I had bonded with this story earlier than I did.

★★★



 J.T. Ellison is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 20 novels, and the EMMY-award winning co-host of A WORD ON WORDS, Nashville's premier literary show. With millions of books in print, her work has won critical acclaim, prestigious awards, and has been published in 26 countries. Ellison lives in Nashville with her husband and twin kittens.

Author Website | Twitter: @thrillerchick | Facebook: @JTEllison14 | 
Instagram: @thrillerchick | Goodreads | BookBub

Q&A with J.T. Ellison

• Do you plan your books in advance or let them develop as you write?
Both. Sometimes the story just unfolds, and sometimes I have to relentlessly work on themes and turning points and characters’ points of view. Every book is different, every book has its own unique challenges. I’m always thinking about what’s next, and sometimes even what’s after that. But when it comes to actually sitting down to write, I like to let the story unfold a bit, let it stretch its wings, before I try to lash it to the mast and conform it to my vision.
• What does the act of writing mean to you?
It’s a sacred contract with me and a mythical “someone” who might read the words at some point in the future and find them entertaining or moving. It’s sheer magic on my end, creating, and sheer magic on the readers’ end, when they get to experience what was in my head as I was writing. It’s the most incredible mystical experience out there.
• Have you ever had a character take over a story, and if so, who was it and why?
All the time. Oh my gosh, all the time. Honestly, if the character doesn’t run away with things, I know there’s a problem. Ivy, n LIE TO ME, is a particular favorite. She’s just so nasty…
• Which one of Good Girls Lie’s characters was the hardest to write and why?
Ash, for sure. She was so elusive and aloof with me. The Britishisms, the secrets, the lies, she was always just out of reach. Of course, that was because I’d written her in third person. When I switched her to first, she wouldn’t shut up.
• Which character in any of your books (Good Girls Lie or otherwise) is dearest to you and why?
Oh that’s an impossible question. Taylor. Sam. Sutton. Vivian. Ash. Aubrey. Ivy. Juliet. Lauren. Becca. Gavin. Baldwin. Xander. They are all me, on some level, whether it’s a fear or a triumph, a flaw or a heroic action. A moment of love or a moment of animosity. It’s like asking me to choose among my children, which one is my favorite. (I don’t have kids, by the way, but I couldn’t pick my favorite of my kittens, either.)
• What did you want to be as a child? Was it an author?
I desperately wanted to be Colorado’s first female firefighter. When that job was taken, I cast about. Doctor. Lawyer. Fighter Pilot. Spy. International business maven. Olympic swimmer. Poet. In the end, being a writer was my only choice. That way, I get to experience all the lives I could have led.
• What does a day in the life of J.T. Ellison look like?
It’s rather blissful. It starts rather lazily, with the cats cuddled into my arms and the newspaper on my iPad, then progresses to kicking the lazy beasts out, pouring a cup of tea and handling email. I am not a morning person, so I tend to do business in the morning and writing in the afternoon, when I’m sharper. I’ve always wanted to be the writer who gets up at 5 am to write whilst the birds chirp and the house sleeps, watching the sun rise and running five miles before the rest of the world is awake, but alas, it was not meant to be. You need to go to a concert that starts at ten p.m., I’m your girl.
• What do you use to inspire you when you get Writer’s Block?
It depends. If it’s a genuine block, a I’ve lost faith in myself and my work block, I will step away from the manuscript entirely, read, walk, golf, yoga, go out for margaritas with my husband, anything to remove me from the situation. But 90 percent of the time, it’s just a story issue, so I work it out with some of my creative partners. Lots of texting and phone calls and what ifs, until it shakes itself free.
• What book would you take with you to a desert island?
Hmmm… my knee jerk is the Harry Potter series – I know, I know, that’s seven books, but I’m sure there’s an omnibus edition somewhere. The fight for good and evil never ceases to amaze and comfort me. Knowing love conquers evil is a big deal in this world. And Hermione kicks ass. If I’m forced into a single title, Plato’s Republic. I’ve been obsessed with the allegory of the cave my entire adult life.
• Favorite quote?
“Do. Or Do not. There is no try.” – Master Yoda
• Coffee or tea?
Loose leaf earl grey. Making tea is a meditative experience for me.
• Best TV or Movie adaptation of a book?
Clueless, hands-down the best adaptation of Austen’s Emma ever, and I’ve been enjoying A Discovery of Witches, based on the fabulous books by Deborah Harkness. Outlander isn’t bad, either. And Game of Thrones… obviously, I don’t include anything past the second episode of the final season of that, though I did enjoy the whole Deanarys-Drogon airborne apocalypse. I mean, talk about a girl who had reason to be aggravated with society.
• Do you have stories on the back burner that are just waiting to be written?
So. Many. Stories. I will never get to them all. At last count, there are 49 in my “Story Idea” folder, with several more floating around in my head.
• What has been the hardest thing about publishing? What has been the most fun?
The hardest is staying in the game, juggling the necessary mix of creativity and business, finding new paths to reach readers and leveling up the writing so it’s possible to grow my career. It was much easier to write, to focus, before our constant connections to the internet consumed us. The most fun is that email from a reader, when something I’ve written strikes a chord with them and they write to tell me they love a story, or a character, or an ending. It doesn’t get better than that.
• What advice would you give budding authors about publishing?
Stay as much in a vacuum as you can while writing. You don’t need a platform, you need an excellent, groundbreaking book. And read everything. Everything you can get your hands on. You learn writing through osmosis as much as writing the books themselves. Find your writing habit and hold it sacred. If you respect your work, your people will, too.
• What was the last thing you read?
I just finished Holly Black’s THE QUEEN OF NOTHING, the finale of her Folk of the Air trilogy, and just finished listening to BAG OF BONES by Stephen King. Both were exceptional.
• Your top five authors?
Diana Gabaldon
JK Rowling
Deborah Harkness
Leigh Bardugo
Sarah J. Maas
• Book you've bought just for the cover?
That’s how I found the Holly Black trilogy – I adored the cover of THE CRUELEST PRINCE.
• Tell us about what you’re working on now.
 I’m writing a novel about a destination wedding that goes very, very wrong. It has loose ties to Rebecca, and it titled HER DARK LIES. 



Sunday, December 22, 2019

BLOG TOUR: Husband Material by Emily Belden @harlequinbooks #emilybelden

Husband Material 
by Emily Belden

Thanks so much to Graydon House for this copy and stop on the blog tour.  Continue below for the synopsis, my review and a Q&A with the author.


Publisher: Graydon House
Publish Date: December 30, 2019
Kindle Edition 
304 Pages
Standalone
Genres: Contemporary, Romance




Sometimes love is unpredictable…


Twenty-nine-year-old Charlotte Rosen has a secret: she’s a widow. Ever since the fateful day that leveled her world, Charlotte has worked hard to move forward. Great job at a hot social media analytics company? Check. Roommate with no knowledge of her past? Check. Adorable dog? Check. All the while, she’s faithfully data-crunched her way through life, calculating the probability of risk—so she can avoid it.

Yet Charlotte’s algorithms could never have predicted that her late husband’s ashes would land squarely on her doorstep five years later. Stunned but determined, Charlotte sets out to find meaning in this sudden twist of fate, even if that includes facing her perfectly coiffed, and perfectly difficult, ex-mother-in-law—and her husband’s best friend, who seems to become a fixture at her side whether she likes it or not.

But soon a shocking secret surfaces, forcing Charlotte to answer questions she never knew to ask and to consider the possibility of forgiveness. And when a chance at new love arises, she’ll have to decide once and for all whether to follow the numbers or trust her heart.

My Review:


I recently read Hot Mess by this author and absolutely fell in love with her writing.  Color me tickled when I received a copy of her latest, Husband Material.  Now, this book was not at all what I expected.  I think with the beginning, the title and all the algorithm talk, I thought I was going to get a more dating disaster to true love kind of novel.  Instead, I was reading a more somber story about Charlotte and her journey to dealing with her husband's ashes showing up at her door five years after the fact.  How she had to finally face it after pretending it wasn't a part of her anymore.

I finished this on my flight home this afternoon and I'm glad I got to sit on this one a bit.  I really wasn't sure how I felt once I swiped that last page.  I applaud the journey of Charlotte as a young widow and how she reacted and how people reacted to her.  As with most contemporary romance novels, we can all see where the book is heading.  I just didn't quite feel a certain *realness* to Charlotte and another character.  Nor did I fully believe in the turn around of another.  However, maybe this just isn't a subject matter I can truly relate to in order to understand it as I should. 

Belden is a fantastic writer and I will certainly continue to read her novels.  While this one might not have resonated with me as well as Hot Mess did, I was happy to be on Charlotte's journey and thoroughly fell in love with her roommate.  Oh the quirky ones always get to me. *wink*  

★★★


EMILY BELDEN is a journalist, social media marketer, and storyteller. She is the author of the novel Hot Mess and Eightysixed: A Memoir about Unforgettable Men, Mistakes, and Meals. She lives in Chicago. Visit her website at www.emilybelden.com or follow her on Twitter and Instagram, @emilybelden.


Q&A with Emily Belden


Q: When you begin writing a love story, do you know how you want it to end? Or do you decide as you develop the plot?
A: I generally have an idea of how I want things to wrap up, but what I always struggle with is that final sentence. How do you know you’re REALLY there? I often ready my theoretical last sentence out loud, followed by saying “The End”, and if it feels like it has a certain “ring” to it, then I can shut the laptop. If not, then I know it’s not my stopping point. Wrapping up that final thought with a bow on it is super important. It’s what I want when I read a book, at least.
 Q: How was it to write about grief, pain and love for the same character?
A: It was new. That’s really the best word to explain it. HOT MESS has so many autobiographical elements to it (i.e., restaurant industry know-how, dating an addict, etc.) but HUSBAND MATERIAL was all unchartered territory for me. I realized right away that in order to write about the grief of losing a spouse/partner, I had to curate a focus group of real-life women like Charlotte and really learn from them to bring the level of authenticity and nuance needed to successfully write the book.
Q: What type of love stories do you like? Or were there ones you looked to as you began writing Husband Material?
A: I like really unexpected love stories. In today’s literary landscape, there’s certainly a formula that is pretty common. So it’s the books that break or stray from that formula that really do it for me. I like stories where it’s not innately clear who the protagonist is going to end up with. Even with HOT MESS there’s a moment where (I hope) the reader is like “OMG WHAT IS HAPPENING” insofar as Allie’s love story goes. Same with Charlotte in HUSBAND MATERIAL.

Q: Do you prefer to write by planning ahead (ie outlining, etc) or just go with the flow as inspiration hits?
A: I prefer to go with the flow. My general writing pattern is banging out 1-2 chapters at a time and then ending my work with a bulleted list of what I think needs to happen next. That way, when I open up my laptop and start to write the next 1-2 chapters, I’m not totally lost or forgetful of where I left off. It helps me figure out what would make sense in the flow of the pages.
Q: When did you know you wanted to become an author? What are you currently reading and what's on your TBR list?
A: It’s been my only god-given talent since I was a little kid. It started with really creative letters to Santa or the Tooth Fairy. I won a contest to be a kid reporter for the Chicago Tribune when I was 12 years old and after that, my fate was sealed. I knew I wanted to write at the highest level I could! I am currently reading a book called Lulu’s Cafe by an author who is also repped by my agents, Browne & Miller. I really love it and can picture it as an adorable Hallmark Movie. 
Q: What inspired you to write this book?
A: I heard a news story on the TV when I was doing dishes at my (former) home in San Diego. It was about a developer who wanted to buy the land a mausoleum was on so they could tear it down and build luxury condos overlooking the ocean. I thought, how crazy if your loved one’s ashes just got mailed back to you one day and the resting place you thought was final, wasn’t. It wasn’t easy, but turned that general premise into a light-side-of-heavy rom-com.

Q: What theme or message do you hope readers will take away from your book?
A: Over all, that second chances at love take all different forms. You never know the circumstances someone has found themselves in, so be kind. For Charlotte, I intentionally wrote the first few chapters as if she was divorced--talking about her “first marriage”. Then you find out “Oh, sh*t, she’s a widow,” and all the sudden your emotional connection with her changes. I also find it interesting writing about death. We don’t talk about it in society, especially not in contemporary women’s fiction. A tragic, unexpected death is the crux of this book. Let’s dig in!

Q: What drew you into this particular genre?
A: I saw there was room to carve out a spot for someone like me who writes unexpected, voicey, edgy, authentic women’s fiction and so I went full steam ahead with the help of a great agent to make it happen.

Q: If you could sit down with any character in your book, what would you ask them and why?
A: I would sit down with Charlotte. I’ve met the “real life” versions of her when doing my focus groups for research, it would be my honor to meet her. I’d ask her if she wanted to team up and develop a dating app framed around people’s dogs. 

Q: What social media site has been the most helpful in developing your readership?
A: Instagram. I feel like I’ve become friends with people I’ve never met in real life. They cheer me on and I’m humbled by it. I also find other authors on Facebook in certain literary groups. This has been fun and has helped me grow my TBR list with books I otherwise wouldn’t have heard of.

Q: What advice would you give to aspiring or just starting authors out there?
A: Be patient. Be patient with the process - success as an author is fluid and can mean many different things. Nothing happens overnight. It’s a process. And be patient with yourself. If you aren’t vibing your writing, don’t put pressure on yourself to tap keys just because you said you were going to do 1,000 words tonight. There are times two weeks go by and I haven’t opened my Word doc once. But then when I am vibing it, I can cruise for 10K words and absolutely rock it. There’s an ebb and flow, for sure.

Q: What does the future hold in store for you? Any new books/projects on the horizon?
A: I am working on a third novel at my own pace right now. I’m very excited about it and just exploring where the plot takes me. I would love to work on a film/TV/podcast adaption of any of my existing works as a next step, too. I also got married nine months ago and am enjoying life with my soulmate, Matt.