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Category: Romance

Blog Tour: "Balancing Acts" by Zoe Fishman

[ 0 ] March 31, 2010

Please join Zoe Fishman, author of Balancing Acts, as she tours the blogosphere with TLC Book Tours!

Reviewed by Poppy J.

Balancing Acts begins with four college acquaintances meeting again at a ten year college reunion. Each is looking for love, wanting to find herself and wondering how she will improve the quality of her life. The women are Naomi, Charlie, Bess and Sabine, and they all decide it is time for a change (each for different reasons). Charlie has just the right catalyst for the women when she suggests that they attend her yoga classes and reconnect with themselves and each other. Charlie has opened up a business with a few other partners, and offers yoga classes to the public. Balancing Acts centers on the classes, the women’s different reactions and the new relationships they develop by opening their minds to something new.

The story initially seems to be based on the premise that all of the women are not on the same footing socially and emotionally. In actuality, Bess has designs to write a story about the women to show that they have not followed their dreams and sold out on their plans for the future. Her intention is to show that she has done better than these women have, even though she is pretending to bond with them both in and out of the yoga class.

Throughout Balancing Acts, Bess learns that she is not so unlike the women that she seeks to expose in her article. Each chapter is named for the women featured in the story. They chronicle the lives of the women, and show how they find or reject the idea of love, and describe how they make sense of the fabric of their lives.

Balancing Acts also tracks the progression of the women’s journey towards loving themselves through learning about, performing, and understanding the art of yoga. There are a few predictable turns in the story, but the ending is first rate. I’d recommend this book to women of any age –  it is definitely a winner.

Please visit Zoe Fishman’s website and follow along with her blog tour!

This book was provided free of any obligation by Harper Paperbacks. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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SheKnows Book Club Pick: "Pieces of Happily Ever After" by Irene Zutell

[ 1 ] March 26, 2010

Pieces of Happily Ever After is the February/March pick for the brand new SheKnows Book Club!

 Reviewed by Jennifer J.

 Alice Hirsh had the perfect life: a stunningly bright 5-year-old daughter named Gabby, a successful attorney for a husband, and a beautiful new home in the San Fernando Valley. In just one instant, her perfect world comes crashing down around her when she finds out her husband has been cheating on her with his celebrity client, Rose Maris. Suddenly photos of Alice appear in every gossip magazine on the stand and she is constantly pursued by the paparazzi. As if things couldn’t get any worse, Alice finds herself not only taking on the roll of a single parent but also that of primary caregiver for her mentally ill mother.

As Alice slowly begins to pick up the remaining  pieces of her life, she begins to reflect on the past and the choices she made that led her to the present day. What if she had married her college sweetheart? What if Rose dumps Alex and he’s still in love with Alice? Alice needs all the comfort and support she can get, finding it in the most unlikely of places, including an ex-porn star and a clever psychic. 

 Pieces of Happily Ever After by Irene Zutell offers a realistic portrayal of how love can fade and be found again in the last place one would ever expect. Alice’s comparisons of her early 20′s to her current age of 38 are a combination of humorous, truthful, and depressing all at the same time. Women readers will find themselves nodding in agreement as Alice becomes frighteningly self-aware of the drastic changes time and motherhood has made to her body. 

As I read, I recognized pieces of my early 20′s self in Alice’s early 20′s self. Spending an afternoon inside of Alice’s head was like sitting down for coffee and listening to my best friend tell me her latest woes. However, at times I did find myself frustrated with Alice as she scrutinized and unfairly judged her peers and neighbors. Overall, Alice is a sympathetic character and I wanted her to find some happiness after the hell she had endured.

I have never read any  of Zutell’s previous novels, but enjoyed the characters she has created and the nuggets of wisdom she has shared with her readers. Gabby was a perfectly penned 5-year-old, reflecting all the playfulness, frustration, and heartbreak that only a daughter can share with her mother. Pieces of Happily Ever After is also the perfect novel for any woman who has experienced a failed marriage and needs reassurance that life can be good, even when “happily ever after” ends.

Jennifer graduated from the University of Utah with a BA in English. She occasionally dabbles with her own fiction writing, particularly with the Young Adult and Paranormal genres. She currently resides in Utah with her husband and daughter.

This book was provided free of any obligation by SheKnows Book Club. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Interview & Giveaway: "Wherever Nina Lies" by Lynn Weingarten

[ 0 ] March 15, 2010

Publisher’s Summary

Nina was beautiful, wild, and adored by her younger sister, Ellie. But, one day, Nina disappeared. Two years later, everyone has given up home that Nina will return, but Ellie knows her sister is out there. If only Ellie had a clue where to look. Then she gets one, in the form of a mysterious drawing. Determined to find Nina, Ellie takes off on a crazy, sexy, cross-country road trip with the only person who believes she’s got a chance—her hot, adventurous new crush. Along the way, Ellie finds a few things she wasn’t planning on. Like love. Lies. And the most shocking thing of all: the truth.

Interview with Lynn Weingarten

You’ve had a lot of very different jobs – barista, counter girl, editor, etc. Were those experiences helpful in writing your first novel?
Lynn: Oh yes, definitely. My editing job was hugely helpful. (Spending a lot of time looking at what is and is not working in other peoples’ writing is a great way to get better at fixing ones own). The editing job was at a book packager/media production company so I also learned a lot about plotting books, coming up with ideas, etc. The other jobs were maybe less directly helpful, although still contributed in an all-the-experiences-you’ve-ever-had-will-contribute-to-who-you-are-and-therefore-what-you-write sort of way. Boy, that sounds really corny. But it’s true!

Also, I don’t think I would have made Ellie a barista had I not had the experience of being one.

A lot of people talk about writing a book, but never get around to it. Was there a turning point that made you just sit down and start writing? 
Lynn: The turning point was that I had a contract to write the book and a due date! J. The book was sold off of an outline and sample chapters, so by the time I sat down to do the bulk of the writing I already had a deadline looming. I find deadlines very helpful

Were you influenced by current or past news when writing Wherever Nina Lies?
Lynn: I wasn’t influenced by any specific story, but was definitely influenced by all of the missing person signs/news reports/etc that I’ve seen over the years.

What are your three favorite books of all time?
Lynn: Hmm, that is a very hard question. Pride and Prejudice is one of my favorite books for sure; it’s one of the only books that I reread regularly. I love pretty much everything I’ve ever read by Lucy Ellmann, Graham Greene and Margaret Atwood. I’m not sure I could pick favorites though.

Do you have any writing rituals? Do you listen to music while you write, or have a special writing area?
Lynn: I don’t really have any set rituals. There are a bunch of different places where I like to write depending on the weather, if I’m on deadline, my mood, how crowded the places are on that particular day, where I’m having a writing day with a writer friend and whether or not I am hungry. Some of the places I write the most are: my favorite coffee shop, my second favorite coffee shop, another random coffee shop that has good cookies, a Starbucks in my neighborhood (it is sort of a sad Starbucks, but they have very strong air conditioning which is nice in the summer), a giant Whole Foods which has a huge seating area, on a lawn chair on my roof, at the desk in my living room and in my kitchen. Sometimes I like to listen to music and other times I listen to a rainstorm mp3 on repeat.

And oh! I tend to eat a lot of hard candy while I’m writing and chew a lot of gum. Lately this means a lot of butter rum and caramel flavored Nips and strawberry Trident. Right now I am chewing three pieces. 


Giveaway
I have 5 copies of Wherever Nina Lies for the lucky winners!

To enter, please comment on this post and include an e-mail address.

Extra entries (please post each entry separately, i.e. 2 posts for subscribing):
- Subscribe to or follow Luxury Reading (1 entry each)
- Blog about this giveaway (5 entries)
- Share this giveaway on a social network of your choice. Click the “share” button below (1 entry each)
- Enter another Luxury Reading giveaway (1 entry each)

This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. Deadline to enter is midnight on April 1st.
Giveaway copies were provided free of any obligation by Big Honcho Media. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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"The Last Song" by Nicholas Sparks

[ 0 ] March 14, 2010

Reviewed by Jennifer J.

Bestselling author Nicholas Sparks has spun a beautiful tale of first love, familial bonds, and faith in God in his 16th novel, The Last Song. Sparks originally wrote the story in screenplay format before transforming it into the novel I had the pleasure of listening to in audio format.

Narrated by Pepper Bingley and Scott Sowers, The Last Song is about rebellious Ronnie Miller’s summer with her estranged father in the small beach town of Wilmington, North Carolina. Unlike her brother Jonah, Ronnie is not as willing to forgive Steve for divorcing her mother three years earlier. After Ronnie is framed for a crime, Steve gives her the one thing she needs more than anything: trust. As their rocky relationship begins to mend, Ronnie’s heart opens to a new kind of love. Though Ronnie and Will Blaklee couldn’t be more different from one another, they fall deeply in love. As the summer draws to an end, Ronnie is faced with the ultimate loss. Ronnie might never be the same again, but the power of the last song and her newfound faith in God promises a bright future.

Like The Notebook and A Walk to Remember, The Last Song will tug at your heartstrings. I have never made it through a Nicholas Sparks novel without drenched Kleenexes at my side, but this was the exception to that trend. There is nothing I enjoy more than having a tangible, written copy of a book in my hands; listening to an audio book was an entirely different feeling. Instead of hearing my own imaginings of the characters’ voices, I was compelled to listen to the narrators’ interpretations of Sparks’ fictional creations. 

Pepper Bingley’s youthful voice was the right fit for reading the chapters that mostly focused on Ronnie, but I found her voice for Jonah to be the most entertaining. Scott Sowers gave a heart breaking performance in lending his voice to Steve Miller, perfectly capturing the guilt and regret that Steve had lived with for so many years. The original score written solely for this audio book perfectly complemented the tone and mood of specific scenes in the novel.

Like all other Nicholas Sparks novels, The Last Song will be a permanent addition to my personal library. Although the story was simplistic and at times predictable, I enjoyed it and will not soon forget it. I’m looking forward to all the new meaning this book will provide me when I read it a second time.

The movie version of The Last Song, starring Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth, will be in theaters on March 31st.

Jennifer graduated from the University of Utah with a BA in English. She occasionally dabbles with her own fiction writing, particularly with the Young Adult and Paranormal genres. She currently resides in Utah with her husband and daughter.

This audio book was provided free of any obligation by Hachette Audio. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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"Heartache & Sin" by Charles Soto

[ 0 ] March 7, 2010
Reviewed by Jennifer J.

Ever since her mother died from diabetes, Karen Wheaton has felt empty inside. Joining the Church of Resurrection has given Karen a new purpose and direction in her life, but her husband Steven cannot shake the feeling that something is not quite right with Preacher Ryan MacDonald. The deeper Karen becomes involved with the church, the more determined Steven becomes to unravel the secrets that MacDonald keeps. His suspicions are confirmed when he converses with Pastor Ryan’s wife Mary. Once Ryan suspects that Steven is a danger to his agenda, he will do anything to keep Ryan and Mary away from one another.

When Karen discovers she is pregnant, her life and the baby’s are at risk because of her own diagnosed diabetes. MacDonald uses Karen’s pregnancy to his advantage, arranging a protest at a local women’s clinic that also performs abortions. Karen wants nothing more than to have this child, even though both Steven and her doctor urge her to terminate the pregnancy. More than ever, Steven needs Mary’s help to expose Ryan for the fraud that he is. Will the truth be revealed in time to save Karen from impending death?

Charles Soto’s debut novel Heartache & Sin can be summed up in two words: grammatical wreck. Readers with a sharp eye will be able to pick out each and every grammatical flaw and incorrect punctuation mark found on page after page of this hefty 478 page novel. A basic spelling and grammar check could have saved the majority of the errors in this book, but only a more skilled writer and editor could have improved the rest of the text. 
Soto’s lack of skillful technique was evident in his failures to cohesively create a string of words into a clear and concise sentence. Most of Soto’s sentences were written as fragments. While some authors can make this style of writing work, Soto’s poor attempt leaves him with a disjointed and at times confusing novel.

The plot itself is pretty compelling and heartbreaking, but most of the characters are too black and white. Pastor Ryan is the embodiment of human nature at its worst, while Karen is pure innocence and light. All women are portrayed as weak, with the exception of one; however, even she has to pretend to be a male to achieve her goals. Additionally, the credibility of the more educated characters in the novel becomes questionable with the incorrect usage of “who” and “whom”, using the word “antidote” instead of “anecdote”, and confusing the difference between “conscience” and “conscious”. This novel is truly every grammar lover’s worst nightmare come to fruition in a “professionally” published package.

Heartache & Sin tackles some pretty tough issues including spousal abuse, fidelity, and abortion. Though abortion is the hot topic mentioned on the back cover, Karen’s pregnancy and MacDonald’s interest in battling the abortion clinic do not even surface until after nearly 300 pages. Unfortunately, the plot wasn’t enough to save Heartache & Sin from being a gigantic disappointment. If Soto addresses the spelling and grammar issues, he might be worth considering in the future. However, after reading an excerpt from his upcoming novel, I am not too optimistic. 
Please visit Charles Soto’s website for more information.

Jennifer graduated from the University of Utah with a BA in English. She occasionally dabbles with her own fiction writing, particularly with the Young Adult and Paranormal genres. She currently resides in Utah with her husband and daughter.

This book was provided free of any obligation by Charles Soto. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review & Giveaway: "The Naked Nun" by M.E. Gardner

[ 1 ] February 27, 2010

Reviewed by Jennifer J.

Lisa Von Bidmont was born into a life of privilege only to lose her parents in a tragic accident at the age of four. After her aunt was found too unstable to care for her, Lisa was placed into a foster family of humble means. At the age of 18, Lisa decided to escape her abusive foster father and ran away to pursue a modeling career in New York City. 

Upon arrival, a serendipitous encounter with former NYPD officer Charley Cameron throws Lisa back into a glamorous lifestyle–and into the arms of billionaire real estate tycoon Bill Brenner. When Bill’s wife Sophia threatens Lisa’s life, she is placed into the Witness Protection program under the guise of a nun. Not too soon after her arrival, Lisa (now known as “Sister Elizabeth”) and several of her sisters stumble upon a demonic presence right in their very own backyard. As Lisa and the others set out to uncover the Satanic secrets left behind by previous landowner Joseph McDonald, a mysterious figure watches Lisa from the dark.

The Naked Nun by M.E. Gardner begins at the end and works its way back to the beginning. The readers will schlep through chapter after chapter to learn why a girl who was on top of the world and had recently become engaged to a handsome billionaire has ended up with nothing–including her fiance. 

The Naked Nun tries to be too many things: a romance, a mystery, a thriller, a supernatural tale, and even erotica. The sudden shifts between the various genres were contrived and without direction. Gardner’s ambitious attempt to pack all these elements into one novel has failed miserably. The plot itself, with a bit more guidance from a capable editor, could have possibly saved this novel from being a complete disaster.

One of the most important pieces of writing advice I have ever been given is the following: “Show, don’t tell.” Throughout The Naked Nun Gardner ignores this principle and summarizes scenes for the reader rather than allowing the characters to reveal the action through their dialogue. On page 154 she writes: “Bill gave a brief description of how they met, the traumatic experiences she had as a child, her escape from the farm, and added that it was love at first sight for both of them. He also told the story about Lisa being a virgin, and taking her to Jefferies’s private island.” In cases where Gardner does use dialogue, it is very unnatural. At other times dialogue is overused as the various characters each get a spotlight moment to ramble on about their struggles in life.

I could not find one redeeming quality about M.E. Gardner’s debut novel. As I neared the end of the book (an ending Jane Austen would be proud of), I increased my pace just so I could finish it. During the day and a half I spent reading it, I would look for any excuse to put it down, including taking out the trash (which I hate doing) and engaging in some much needed retail therapy to preemptively award myself for completing The Naked Nun.

Visit The Naked Nun website for more information.

Jennifer graduated from the University of Utah with a BA in English. She occasionally dabbles with her own fiction writing, particularly with the Young Adult and Paranormal genres. She currently resides in Utah with her husband and daughter.

Giveaway
Win a copy and judge for yourself. The publisher will send a copy of The Naked Nun to 2 winners!

To enter, comment on this post with your e-mail address.


Extra entries (please post each entry separately, i.e. 2 posts for subscribing):
- Subscribe to or follow Luxury Reading (1 entry each)
- Blog about this giveaway (5 entries)
- Share this giveaway on a social network of your choice. Click the “share” button below (1 entry each)
- Enter another Luxury Reading giveaway (1 entry each)

This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. Deadline to enter is midnight on March 19th.


Review and giveaway copies were provided free of any obligation by Langdon Street Press. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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"Prodigal Sons" by Sheldon Greene

[ 0 ] February 17, 2010
Reviewed by Caleb S.

Jan Goldberg a.k.a. Horst Vogel is a Polish Jew who was a resistance fighter against the Nazis. We meet up with him about five years after the end of the war; he is masquerading as a German art specialist trying to separate out the seized war booty from legitimate art holdings. All the while, Jan/Horst keeps an eye out for known stolen works. What most do not know is that he is also an assassin who brings ‘justice’ to Nazis who were instrumental in the party’s purge but have escaped the notice of the war crimes tribunal.


Prodigal Sons opens with our protagonist committing a grisly murder in an alley outside a seedy bar. We do not know who either of the players are and he follows this closely by taking out another Nazi trying to escape to Argentina via Switzerland on a train. The book starts out gritty and promises a story with a high body count. That all changes when Horst has a chance meeting with Greta, a beautiful blond German pianist, as she is staring into a stream looking for a ring she had dropped. Horst is able to retrieve it for her and she repays him by joining him for coffee. This propels our protagonist down the road from a hardened, embittered, assassin to a caring man who wants to settle down and raise a family.

About a third of the way into the story we finally do a flash back and learn about Jan’s past and how he became the man we meet in the beginning of the story.

I found Prodigal Sons to be a very engaging book and I wanted to keep reading it. I thought it was well written but the end just seemed a little too ‘storybook’ perfect in my opinion. I did enjoy the ending and I certainly cannot think of a way to make it better, but it seemed to be missing something. Overall, a good book worth reading, but don’t mistake this for a hard core spy novel. Prodigal Sons is a light love story that addresses the wounds created by war and what it takes for them to heal.

Please visit Sheldon Greene’s website for more information.


Caleb is a software engineer and amateur woodworker living in southern Minnesota. He has more hobbies than he has time or money for, and enjoys his quiet time reading.

This book was provided free of any obligation by Sheldon Greene. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Blog Tour & Giveaway: "Hasta la Vista, Lola!" by Misa Ramirez

[ 1 ] February 16, 2010
Please join Misa Ramirez, author of the mystery novel, Hasta la Vista, Lola!, as she tours the blogoshphere in February on her first virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book!
Guest post by Misa Ramirez
I love the theme of Luxury Reading and am so thrilled to be here. I absolutely agree with Vera when she says “the ultimate luxury is curling up with a good book and a warm blanket”. Add a little snow outside, a roaring fire in the fireplace, and that just might be the most perfect day! 
Here’s the definition of LUXURY:
luxury |ˈlək sh (ə)rē; ˈləg zh (ə)-|

noun ( pl. -ries)

the state of great comfort and extravagant living : she lived a life of luxury.

luxuries like top shelf margaritas and Lola Cruz Mysteries | cozying up with a good book is a luxury.

Reading absolutely fits the bill! So many good books, so little time. Sites like this that introduce people to brand new books are so important. As a writer, having your book published by a major publishing house is a huge thrill. But that is just the beginning of a long road. How does an author get her book out there for her potential readership to discover? Sometimes a publisher pushes hard and promotes a book. Sometimes a book manages to become viral and word spreads like wildfire. Other times, as has been the case for the Lola Cruz Mystery Series, the readership grows over time and through word of mouth thanks to sites like this.

Bringing books to readers and readers to books is always an author’s goal. It’s the goal of my two new sites, Books on the House and Books on the House for Kids and Teens. Just like Luxury Reading, we celebrate books which, to me, is an absolute necessity, as well as a wonderful luxury!

Hasta la Vista, Lola!, the second book in the series, has gotten such wonderful reviews, and the response from random readers across the nation has been amazing! The word about Lola is definitely spreading, and I couldn’t be happier–other people are enjoying Lola as much as I do! She’s like a friend; I can’t wait to get to work everyday and see what she’s up to, and what’s next in her life. Looks like I’m not alone! 
And so much of the growing support for Lola Cruz is due to sites like Luxury Reading, which showcase and celebrate books. So thank you, Vera! And thank you readers. It’s an author’s greatest joy to know that her books have resonated with people. 

Author Bio:


Misa Ramirez is the author of the Lola Cruz mystery series: Living the Vida Lola (January ’09) and Hasta la Vista, Lola! (2010) from St. Martin’s Minotaur. A former middle and high school teacher, and current CEO and CFO for La Familia Ramirez, this blonde-haired, green-eyed, proud to be Latina-by-Marriage girl loves following Lola on her many adventures. Whether it’s contemplating belly button piercings or visiting nudist resorts, she’s always up for the challenge. Misa is hard at work on a new women’s fiction novel, is published in Woman’s World Magazine and Romance Writers Report, and has a children’s book published. You can visit her website at www.misaramirez.com.
Giveaway
I have 1 copy of Hasta la Vista, Lola! to give away, courtesy of the publisher and Pump Up Your Book!

To enter, comment on this post with your e-mail address.

Extra entries (please post each entry separately, i.e. 2 posts for subscribing):
- Subscribe to or follow Luxury Reading (1 entry each)
- Blog about this giveaway (5 entries)
- Share this giveaway on a social network of your choice. Click the “share” button below (1 entry each)

This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. Deadline to enter is midnight on March 10th.

Review and giveaway copies were provided free of any obligation by Pump Up Your Book Promotions. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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