MRS. EVERYTHING by Jennifer Weiner

July 4, 2019

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From the publisher:

An instant New York Times bestseller 

“A multigenerational narrative that’s nothing short of brilliant.” —People
“Simply unputdownable.” —Good Housekeeping
“The perfect book club pick.” —SheReads

Named a Best Book of Summer by Entertainment Weekly, Cosmopolitan, Woman’s Day, PopSugar, HelloGiggles, and Refinery29

From Jennifer Weiner, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Who Do You Love and In Her Shoes comes a smart, thoughtful, and timely exploration of two sisters’ lives from the 1950s to the present as they struggle to find their places—and be true to themselves—in a rapidly evolving world. 

Do we change or does the world change us?

Jo and Bethie Kaufman were born into a world full of promise.

Growing up in 1950s Detroit, they live in a perfect “Dick and Jane” house, where their roles in the family are clearly defined. Jo is the tomboy, the bookish rebel with a passion to make the world more fair; Bethie is the pretty, feminine good girl, a would-be star who enjoys the power her beauty confers and dreams of a traditional life.

But the truth ends up looking different from what the girls imagined. Jo and Bethie survive traumas and tragedies. As their lives unfold against the background of free love and Vietnam, Woodstock and women’s lib, Bethie becomes an adventure-loving wild child who dives headlong into the counterculture and is up for anything (except settling down). Meanwhile, Jo becomes a proper young mother in Connecticut, a witness to the changing world instead of a participant. Neither woman inhabits the world she dreams of, nor has a life that feels authentic or brings her joy. Is it too late for the women to finally stake a claim on happily ever after?

In her most ambitious novel yet, Jennifer Weiner tells a story of two sisters who, with their different dreams and different paths, offer answers to the question: How should a woman be in the world?

This is unlike any of Weiner’s previous books; it’s more a family saga and a coming of age story for the two main characters, and I loved it. These two women go through everything life throws at them, and how they deal with it, and with each other, is compelling reading. The way they grow and change and everything that happens is a slice of life portrayal through the past fifty years or so. I’m old enough to remember a lot of what was going on at the time and it was not always wonderful.

There are some difficult moments, but they are necessary and worthwhile. This country went through a lot of turmoil in the the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s and Weiner’s characters do as well. She covers a lot of the turmoil, and some of it bleeds through to today. But it’s the characters and how they are brought to life and grow and change that make this book so exceptional. They do not necessarily follow the path most easily taken, and it is that honesty that is so refreshing. This is a truly American story, and definitely women’s fiction with some history and even a touch of romance thrown in. Book groups will find lots to discuss – I found myself talking about it with my daughter, even though she hadn’t (and won’t) read it, but she was very interested in the story and I was happy she was willing to listen. Highly recommended.

7/19 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

MRS. EVERYTHING by Jennifer Weiner. Atria Books (June 11, 2019).  ISBN  978-1501133480. 480p.

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HOW TO LOSE A FIANCÉ by Stefanie London

July 3, 2019

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From the publisher:

Sophia Andreou has always been the “good daughter” who tried to keep her domineering father happy. She followed the rules and did everything that was asked of her. But this time, her father is asking too much. The family company is crumbling, and her father has arranged a marriage to a Greek billionaire who can save their property business. What?! Umm no thank you. If Cinderella can dress up to win a prince, surely Sophia can do the opposite and ditch hers…

Dion Kourakis has come a long way from being an orphan with only a single friend to his name. Now he runs a billion-dollar investment company and has the respect of everyone in Europe. His charming personality covers a lot of emotional scars, including his desire to make his mentor proud.

Dion doesn’t exactly want a bride to go along with his next business deal, and he plans on letting the lass down gently when they meet…

Only, his future bride has turned out to be nothing like what he thought she’d be. She’s quirky and has a habit of turning up to social events in strange outfits. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what she’s up to, but the harder she tries to convince him she’d be an awful wife, the more he wants to convince her they’d be perfect together.

This is a very fast read, it’s just over 200 pages. But London does a really good job of character development of the main protagonists in a very tight story, my usual pet peeve with books this short. That said, it would have been better with more of Sophia’s mother’s backstory. That character was integral to the plot yet barely developed. Actually, her father, too, should have been more developed. And I didn’t understand the relationship between Sophia’s father and Dion’s father; the plot had some holes in it for sure. But this book is all about the romance, and there was good development there plus some really funny, laugh out loud scenes mixed in with some hot sex. If you want a short, entertaining, fun, sexy read, this is your book. I enjoyed it.

7/19 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

HOW TO LOSE A FIANCÉ by Stefanie London. Entangled: Indulgence (June 17, 2019). ASIN: B07R1PJD93. 207p.

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THE PLUS ONE by Sarah Archer

July 2, 2019

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Kelly is a robotics engineer and unfortunately, she encompasses all the negative stereotypes one would associate with that profession; she’s nerdy, self-important, anti-social, and controlling. She is working on a home health care robot, and is having a hard time getting to the finish line.

Meanwhile, her younger sister is getting married soon and her mother is driving her crazy, setting her up on blind dates so she can have a plus one for the wedding. Finally, in desperation, Kelly builds herself a date. Ethan has all the emotional appeal of a robot but looks human – he’s gorgeous, thoughtful, and most importantly, he finally gets Kelly’s mother off her back. The plan is to take him apart the day after the wedding, but Kelly falls in love with her creation.

She is fighting with her best-and-only friend but her relationships with her family are much improved and she grows as a person. Unfortunately, all the loose ends in the story come together for the predictable ending.

Verdict: a silly story that brings the notion of suspending your disbelief to a new and unrealistic level. Buy for demand only.

©Library Journal, 2019

7/19 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE PLUS ONE by Sarah Archer. Gallery Books (April 23, 2019). ISBN 978-1501197581. 320p.

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BEFORE I WAKE by David Morrell

June 30, 2019

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It is to be expected that an accomplished author such as Morrell would handle any form of literary endeavor with the same masterful touch as any other. In this, Morrell’s third selection of short stories, the truth of the matter is that he does.

This current volume contains fourteen stories ranging in themes from science fiction to horror, all presented with a forward by Morrell indicating a short background of what he did with the stories. A few have characters from his novels as well as independent situations involving those individuals introduced elsewhere.

A review of a volume such as “Before I Wake” presents the difficulty of trying to capture all of a book filled with different situations. That part normally captured in a full length novel must merely include the comment that the author is the tried and true master of all his creations. I read all of the book in one sitting, liked most of the stories, some not so much, and did find that the experience is only different from the author’s novels in that the situation presented must be done in a shorter time.

In the accepted rating system of stars – one or more up to five -I can’t do anything else but give five stars because of the way the author has easily grabbed my attention and allowed me the pleasure of a wonderful reading experience. Read the book, at the very least you will find one or probably many stories to become fascinated with.

6/19 Paul Lane

BEFORE I WAKE by David Morrell. Subterranean; Deluxe Hardcover edition (June 30, 2019). ISBN 978-1596069121. 376p.

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A MATTER OF WILL by Adam Mitzner

June 28, 2019

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Will Matthews is a young man newly come to New York from a rural area with the intention of rising up in the corporate world, making both money and a name for himself. He landed a job with a huge brokerage house, but after two years of beating the bushes, cold calling for prospects, he finds himself on the verge of being fired for lack of productivity.

But Will’s luck turns when he gets a ticket to see a hockey game at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan. He finds himself sitting next to Sam Abaddon and his girlfriend. Sam, who is an extrovert, strikes up a conversation with Will, which results in a friendship and a golden find for him. Sam turns out to be very wealthy, and decides to invest a great deal of money with Will. He does, and Will’s fortunes do a one eighty. Not only with Sam, but with a group of Sam’s wealthy friends. At the same time, Will meets the girl of his dreams, Gwen Lipton, and it looks like his life has turned out for the much, much better.

But things change completely when Will witnesses an act of extreme violence and becomes caught up in criminal activity when finding out where Sam actually gets his money from. Gwen, who is a rising attorney in a large law firm, decides that she cannot have her own career jeopardized by Will’s problems dumps him, completing the misery now permeating his life.

Mitzner proves himself a master at fleshing out the characters in his novels and this book is no exception to the rule. The ending is a good one and provides the means for Will and Gwen getting back together. Based on the characters described by the author the finale is one that would be appropriate for them and the novel.

6/19 Paul Lane

A MATTER OF WILL by Adam Mitzner. Thomas & Mercer (June 25, 2019). ISBN 978-1503905139. 316p.

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RULES OF ENGAGEMENT by David Bruns and J.R. Olson

June 27, 2019

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The authors have presented a modern story of war. This is opposed to descriptions of battle in past centuries such as “War and Peace,” “All Quiet On the Western Front,” and “Battle Cry”. Those presented descriptions of men and women fighting other humans face to face. ” Rules of Engagement” deals with computers against computers guided by men and women working behind the lines.

Rafid Roshed is one of the most wanted men in the world with years of violent crimes against the west. He has developed an arrangement with North Korea and helps them launch cyber attacks against their enemies, which are the U.S., China and Japan. His latest development is a computer virus that once inserted into a country’s command system can gain control and begin to learn how to carry on on it’s own.

As the story opens, Roshed’s virus has already gained control of China’s system and has guided the Chinese Air force and navy into attacking both the United States and Japan. This occurs without the permission and against the will of the Chinese government.

Don Riley, the head of U.S. Cyber command, with the help of three brilliant midshipmen loaned by the naval academy at Annapolis, take on the task of finding and destroying the deadly virus. At the same time their mission would be to kill or capture Roshed. As in any good war story the action is swift and constant. The book describes the systems utilized in the war and does not utilize an idiom outside of the normal reader’s complete understanding in doing so. Very engrossing and very well done, and an excellent reason to keep an eye out for more from the authors.

6/19 Paul Lane

RULES OF ENGAGEMENT by David Bruns and J.R. Olson.  St. Martin’s Press (June 25, 2019). ISBN 978-1250200310. 336p.

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THE ROGUE OF FIFTH AVENUE by Joanna Shupe

June 26, 2019

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Uptown Girls, Book 1

From the publisher:

Silver-tongued lawyer.
Keeper of secrets.
Breaker of hearts.

He can solve any problem . . .

In serving the wealthy power brokers of New York society, Frank Tripp has finally gained the respectability and security his own upbringing lacked. There’s no issue he cannot fix . . . except for one: the beautiful and reckless daughter of an important client who doesn’t seem to understand the word danger.

She’s not looking for a hero . . .

Excitement lies just below Forty-Second Street and Mamie Greene is determined to explore all of it—while playing a modern-day Robin Hood along the way. What she doesn’t need is her father’s lawyer dogging her every step and threatening her efforts to help struggling families in the tenements.

However, she doesn’t count on Frank’s persistence . . . or the sparks that fly between them. When fate upends all her plans, Mamie must decide if she’s willing to risk it all on a rogue . . .

Shupe kicks off a new series in historical New York City, which is very reminiscent of London in the same time period. The wealthy live in a small enclave and the rest of the city is in dire need around them, yet completely invisible to the elites. Except for Greene girls. They are very much aware of the poverty and turmoil below 42nd Street and strive to help the families that the church turns away. They make money by gambling in places women are not allowed and that brings Frank Tripp into the picture.

Tripp is the family attorney and he is trying to help his client, the girls’s father, by protecting the daughters. But there is no stopping Mamie Greene, and Tripp greatly admires her – both her feistiness and her looks. These two are constantly verbally sparring, which adds friction to the chemistry between them. When one of Mamie’s families gets into trouble, she looks to Tripp to help them.

Tripp is hiding some secrets of his own but he agrees to help Mamie, he simply can’t say no to her. And anything that will get them to spend more time together works for both of them. So he agrees to defend a woman accused of murdering her husband. She did it, but it was self defense, but the cops don’t care about that. The victim was related to a police detective. The NYC police department is rife with corruption that goes all the way to the top. I laughed when Teddy Roosevelt comes riding in towards the end. This intrigued me so much that I looked into Teddy Roosevelt and the NYC police department and found this terrific piece from NPR.

While this is an engrossing tale, it’s the little touches of reality that really make the story shine. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.

6/19 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE ROGUE OF FIFTH AVENUE by Joanna Shupe. Avon (May 28, 2019).  ISBN 978-0062906816. 400p.

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A NEARLY NORMAL FAMILY by M.T. Edvardsson

June 25, 2019

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This book is the story of a murder trial involving a young, eighteen-year-old girl. The author uses the technique of three narratives in telling his story.

There is the girl’s father, a Pastor and a man dedicated to the truth; her mother, a criminal defense lawyer; and of course Stella Sandell, the lady on trial. The technique, employed quite successfully by Edvardsson, is to utilize three separate sections of the novel, each dedicated to the thoughts and actions of the three people involved. Each part supplies the reader with different facts making up the plot and certainly causes many changes of opinion as the novel progresses.

Stella is a girl that certainly has her own mind and is more than a little rebellious. She is a student reaching the end of high school with the one ambition of taking a trip of several months to Asia. Important to her, and to the story, is her best friend who has been with her almost all of her short life. Amina, her friend, is the exact opposite of her, immersed in studies with the intention of becoming a doctor.

Both Stella and Amina have drifted into a relationship with a man fifteen years older than they are. Each tries to keep her role with him apart and attempting to keep the other thinking that they are not involved with him. It is this man that is killed and circumstances put the blame on Stella. She is arrested and brought to trial.

The strength of the story is the steady building up of suspense and the maintaining of the flow keeping the reader glued to the novel. While it was written in Swedish and takes place in a small city in Sweden, the translation is an excellent one allowing the nuances of the English I read it in to be quite clear. A definite five star novel and one showcasing the work of an author at the top of his game.

6/19 Paul Lane

A NEARLY NORMAL FAMILY by M.T. Edvardsson. Celadon Books (June 25, 2019). ISBN 978-1250204431. 400p.

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THE UNBREAKABLES by Lisa Barr

June 23, 2019

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From the publisher:

A delicious, sharp novel about a woman who jets off to France after her perfect marriage collapses, putting the broken pieces of herself back together while rediscovering her own joie de vivre—a lust for life, art, and steamy sex.

“Artful, feminist, and emotionally gripping. The Unbreakables is a remarkable tribute to a woman’s strength in the face of heartbreak and adversity.” — Helen Hoang, author of The Kiss Quotient

The worst birthday ever might just be the gift of a lifetime…

It’s Sophie Bloom’s forty-second birthday, and she’s ready for a night of celebration with Gabe, her longtime, devoted husband, and her two besties and their spouses. Dinner is served with a side of delicious gossip, including which North Grove residents were caught with their pants down on Ashley Madison after the secret on-line dating site for married and committed couples was hacked. Thirty-two million cheaters worldwide have been exposed…including Sophie’s “perfect” husband. To add insult to injury, she learns Gabe is the top cheater in their town.

Humiliated and directionless, Sophie jumps into the unknown and flees to France to meet up with her teenage daughter who is studying abroad and nursing her own heartbreak. After a brief visit to Paris, Sophie heads out to the artist enclave of Saint-Paul-de-Vence. There, for the first time in a long time, Sophie acknowledges her own desires—not her husband’s, not her daughter’s—and rediscovers her essence with painful honesty and humor, reawakening both her sensuality and ambitions as a sculptor.

As she sheds her past and travels the obstacle-filled off beaten path, Sophie Bloom is determined to blossom. Allowing her true self to emerge in the postcard beauty of Provence, Sophie must decide what is broken forever…and what it means to be truly unbreakable.

I don’t remember where I first heard about this book, but it kept coming up in various emails and websites with glowing reviews so I opened it. I was immediately surprised by the whole Ashley Madison plot line and thought why hasn’t anyone else written about this. It seems like a really good jumping off point for a novel and Barr took it and ran with it.

If you aren’t familiar or forgot the salacious details, Ashley Madison is a “dating” site for married people who wanted to have affairs. Yuck. But it was very successful, financially at least, until hackers broke in and started releasing lists of names of the married cheaters. You can read all about it here: Fortune and you can search the database if you really want to here: CNN helps you figure out how to do that. And of course, Wikipedia has an overview. In case you thought this huge, embarrassing data breach would cause the site to shut down, think again. Ashley Madison survived and is still going. No, I’m not linking to it. Again, yuck.

Sophie, Samantha and Lauren have been best friends since childhood and they dub themselves the unbreakables. But life has a way of laughing at such proclamations, and the damage done by the Ashley Madison scandal is immediate and devastating. This is a story of a woman who has to start over at age 42. I didn’t agree with all her choices, but I cheered her on regardless. I will say that having an unlimited stream of money seemed most helpful here so if this happens to you, plan ahead and save up for it.

I was immediately absorbed into the story and was alternately shocked, saddened, angered and inspired; sometimes, I swear, all on the same page. This definitely falls under emotional reads for me. Barr does a really good job of making the reader care about Sophie and all her life choices. This should make good fodder for book groups.

6/19 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE UNBREAKABLES by Lisa Barr. Harper Paperbacks (June 4, 2019). ISBN  978-0062895394. 352p.

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FIX HER UP by Tessa Bailey

June 22, 2019

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From the publisher:

A steamy, hilarious new romantic comedy from New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey, perfect for fans of Christina Lauren and Sally Thorne!

Georgette Castle’s family runs the best home renovation business in town, but she picked balloons instead of blueprints and they haven’t taken her seriously since.  Frankly, she’s over it. Georgie loves planning children’s birthday parties and making people laugh, just not at her own expense. She’s determined to fix herself up into a Woman of the World… whatever that means.

Phase one: new framework for her business (a website from this decade, perhaps?)

Phase two: a gut-reno on her wardrobe (fyi, leggings are pants.)

Phase three: updates to her exterior (do people still wax?)

Phase four: put herself on the market (and stop crushing on Travis Ford!)

Living her best life means facing the truth: Georgie hasn’t been on a date since, well, ever. Nobody’s asking the town clown out for a night of hot sex, that’s for sure. Maybe if people think she’s having a steamy love affair, they’ll acknowledge she’s not just the “little sister” who paints faces for a living. And who better to help demolish that image than the resident sports star and tabloid favorite?

Travis Ford was major league baseball’s hottest rookie when an injury ended his career. Now he’s flipping houses to keep busy and trying to forget his glory days. But he can’t even cross the street without someone recapping his greatest hits. Or making a joke about his… bat. And then there’s Georgie, his best friend’s sister, who is not a kid anymore. When she proposes a wild scheme—that they pretend to date, to shock her family and help him land a new job—he agrees. What’s the harm? It’s not like it’s real. But the girl Travis used to tease is now a funny, full-of-life woman and there’s nothing fake about how much he wants her…

This is a fast, fun read with lots of humor, pathos, and steamy sex – what more could you want? I couldn’t help but get emotionally involved with both Travis and Georgie. Retiring from professional baseball with an injury in his twenties really messed with his head. He found solace by hiding and drinking alone. Until Georgie comes by, throws some old lo mein at his head and forces him out of bed. And to clean. His best friend’s little sister is showing him something he’s never had before; someone who cares about him

A difficult childhood left Travis alone and aloof but Georgie is breaking down those walls. And she can’t stand how her family still treats her like the baby they think she is. She may be all grown up but her work as a clown for children’s birthday parties isn’t convincing anyone to treat her as an adult – except Travis.

Suspend your disbelief and enjoy this funny, sexy book. I sure did.

6/19 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

FIX HER UP by Tessa Bailey. HQN Books; Original edition (June 11, 2019).  ISBN  978-1335659972. 368p.

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