Review and Giveaway: When a Laird Takes a Lady

When a Laird Takes a Lady (Claimed by the Highlander - Book 2) by Rowan Keats

Publication Date: 05/06/2014
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Signet Eclipse
Genre: Historical Romance
Pages: 336
ISBN-10: 0451416082
ISBN-13: 978-0451416087

(Received for an honest review from Signet Eclipse)

Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Indiebound

Rowan Keats on the WEB: website, twitter, facebook, goodreads

Books in the series: 

Claimed by the Highlander

1. Taming a Wild Scot
2. When a Laird Takes a Lady

Coverart: Click the Image for a larger, clearer view of the covers in this series.

Excerpt from, When a Laird Takes a Lady, courtesy of the author's website (Half way down the page click on 'read and excerpt').

Synopsis:

In the Highlands of Scotland, honor and loyalty are worth more than life itself. But when a haunted woman meets a wronged warrior, love will prove more powerful than anything they have ever known.

Isabail Grant has had to be strong all her life. Over the years, she has lost everyone close to her, and now she’s seeking justice for her brother’s murder. But en route to Edinburgh to petition the king, she is kidnapped by a fierce warrior—and is shocked to find herself irresistibly drawn to her captor.

Aiden MacCurran is an outlaw. The laird of a small clan, he’s been falsely accused of killing the king’s courier and stealing the Crown’s property—and the key to clearing his name and redeeming his clan lies in Isabail’s memories. But Aiden and Isabail must first weather deceit and treachery before they can find the truth and claim the love that’s growing between them....

Thoughts:

When a Laird Takes a Lady is the second book in the Claimed by a Highlander series written by Rowan Keats. This is a novel based on the ideas of honor, loyalty and trust, which are themes common in Scottish romance novels. Keats writes the highland people with respect to their way of life and understanding of the essential values that governed them. Romance readers and Scottish enthusiasts alike will find this book irresistible. Keats has a way with dialogue and originality that keeps her books realistic and true to the highland spirit.

What I liked:

I am of Scottish descent as many of you who read my blog often, know. I have read many books about the Highlands and the people who live there. I have stories of my own from my grandfather as well, that influence how I review any book set in Scotland. I have some pretty high standards when it comes to Scottish romance and not too many authors live up to them. Rowan Keats has got my interest peaked with this series. It is of course set in the highlands and Keats has done her homework as far as customs of the day, traditional dress and that sort of thing, but she has also written books that speak to the spirit of the highlander. Her characters embody the virtues and the flaws of the highland people, which is so much harder to capture than whether highlanders used the word know or kin.

In When a Laird Takes a Lady you have a typical Scottish romance theme, laird kidnaps a lady and falls in love, but it's so much more than that. I get tired of reading the same old stereo-typical Scottish characters and Keats gives readers something new fresh and new in Isabail Grant. Most highland ladies are written as with more heart than intelligence and most of them have been married off to men who are twice their age for clan conquest and not love. Isabail is neither of those things. She is a smart, stubborn woman with a lot of resilience and a heart of iron. She loved her husband and still mourns his death. I liked her instantly. She stood toe to toe with her abductor and came up with a pretty good plan of escape. Luckily, that wasn't in the cards!

Aiden was a warrior through and through. He had a small clan that he was trying to restore to it's former glory. He fought hard to prove that he was innocent of Isabail's brother's murder and needed her cooperation. When she finally realized that he was an honorable man and that he was not going to do her any harm, her attitudes toward him started to change. I liked his strength and his determination, his raw power and charisma. He didn't threaten her safety but he certainly laid to waste the guard she had on her heart. I liked them as a couple, because it was almost as if they were made for each other. They had their struggles and the mystery surrounding Isabail's brothers murder tried the patience of them both, but Keats eventually works it all out in the end much to the satisfaction of the reader.

What I didn't like:

This book relied heavily on the ideas of honor and trust, yet Isabail was willing to become Aiden's lover before she became completely convinced of his innocence. I found that detail a little hard to swallow because we weren't talking about something little, this was the murder of her brother. I'm pretty sure he would have had to prove to her without a doubt that he did not do it, before she would even remotely consider the idea of being with him.

Bottom Line:

For the most part I think Keats writes a Scottish romance with more originality than most. I think she understands the highland heart and what it needs better than some authors, but there were still a couple of things lacking with this novel. That's not to say that I don't recommend it. I definitely do, especially to Scottish romance fans. Like I said... I'm a bit picky!

When a Laird Takes a Lady is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 apples from my book bag!

About the Author:

Rowan Keats, author of Taming a Wild Scot, graduated from the University of Ottawa with an Honours degree in Business. She worked as a banker, stock broker, and marketing director before returning to her true calling: writing. Born to a French-Canadian father and a Scottish-Danish mother, she has centuries of rich history to draw from when penning her romantic tales of days gone by.

Giveaway Details:

The publisher is sponsoring a giveaway for one copy of When a Laird Takes a Lady by Rowan Keats.

~ You must be an email subscriber to participate.
~ US addresses only.
~ The deadline to enter this giveaway is Midnight EST, June 3rd.

1. Please leave a comment another Scottish historical romance series you like.

2. Please fill out the FORM.

Review and Giveaway: In Want of a Wife

In Want of a Wife (Bitter Springs - Book 4) by Jo Goodman

Publication Date: 05/06/2014
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Berkley Sensation
Genre: Historical Western Romance
Pages: 384
ISBN-10: 0425264173
ISBN-13: 978-0425264171

(Received for an honest review from Berkley Sensation)

Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Indiebound

Jo Goodman on the WEB: website, facebook, goodreads

Books in the Series:

The Last Renegade
True to the Law
"Nat Church and the Runaway Bride" from Boots Under Her Bed (short story)
In Want of a Wife

Coverart: Click the Image for a larger, clearer view of the covers in this series.

Excerpt from, In Want of a Wife, courtesy of Amazon's Look Inside feature.

Synopsis:

SHE HAS NOWHERE LEFT TO TURN

Jane Middlebourne needs a way out. In 1891, life in New York is unforgiving for a young woman with no prospects, especially when her family wants nothing to do with her. So when Jane discovers an ad for a mail-order bride needed in Bitter Springs, Wyoming, she responds with a hopeful heart. 

HE HAS EVERYTHING TO LOSE

Rancher Morgan Longstreet is in want of a wife who will be his partner at Morning Star, someone who will work beside him and stand by him. His first impression of the fair and fragile Jane is that she is notthat woman. But when she sets out to prove him wrong, the secrets he cannot share put into jeopardy every happiness they hope to find….

Thoughts:

Author Jo Goodman brings readers another story from Bitter Springs with her latest book, In Want of a Wife. Goodman is able to take a Western theme and turn it into just about anything she wants. With this book, she takes a reoccurring theme in Western romance, the mail order bride and adds to it child exploitation, to create a story that is multi-layered while still being romantic. Readers who are looking for a good cowboy romance, this book is that and a lot more. Jane is a sassy East Coast girl and Morgan is a Wyoming cowboy looking for a wife. It's an explosive combination. 

What I liked:

With any Jo Goodman book, especially her western historicals, readers know they will get good quality writing and engaging characters. I think I like Goodman's westerns best because she is able to capture not only the customs and traditions of the times, but also the heart of people who lived them. She gets into character so well and readers are drawn right along with her. Her character's speech patterns and mannerisms are authentic and that adds so much to the overall feel of the book. In Western writing of any kind atmosphere is key and Goodman has got it down to a science.

I always appreciate an author that takes the time to get a little more in depth when it comes to romance than just boy meets girl, they fall in love and live happily ever after. Goodman's books don't tend to be that straightforward. With any good book, there is conflict and with In Want of a Wife, the conflict is two-fold. When Jane and Morgan meet for the first time, she is coming to him as a mail-order-bride, but she isn't exactly what he was expecting. Morgan has some demons of his own to face in this book and that struggle it what made this one so interesting. Between both those issues, Goodman has conflict galore, and for whatever reason it works with this book. I liked all the secrets and the situations that brought these two characters closer and made their relationship grow.

Child molestation and exploitation isn't often something you find in western romance. It is a theme that Goodman has used in several of her other books as well. In this book I think it was handled with respect for it's devastation and in way that showed recovery is possible. I think that needs to be central when writing about this subject. Yes, it is a horrible thing, but those who have suffered it's consequences can move forward and find love and happiness and Goodman portrayed that well. 

What I didn't like:

The romance between Jane and Morgan is slow building and romantic but there were times when I felt they were pushing the boundaries of where they were in the relationship. Moving a little too quickly and sometimes not quick enough. The pacing was a just a little off, but it wasn't a big issue. It was still a very well written love story.

Bottom Line:

Goodman's western romances may not be for the readers who want their HEA's all tied with a bow. I liked the complexity of Jane and Morgan's relationship and how their pasts did not keep them from having a wonderful future together. I want my character's to earn their HEA and Goodman sees to it that they do.

In Want of a Wife is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 apples from my book bag!

About the Author:

Jo Goodman is the USA Today bestselling author of True to the Law, The Last Renegade, and Kissing Comfort,.

Giveaway Details:

The publisher is sponsoring a giveaway for one copy of In Want of a Wife by Jo Goodman.

~ You must be an email subscriber to participate.
~ US addresses only.
~ The deadline to enter this giveaway is Midnight EST, June 3rd.

1. Please leave a comment about why you think the mail-order bride story line is so popular in Western romance novels.

2. Please fill out the FORM.

Winner's Post!!!

Hello everyone! This is a short winner's post for giveaways ending between 4/16 and 4/30. 

I want to thank everyone for your participation! 

As a reminder please make sure you enter the giveaway by the date given on the post. That's what I go by.

Winner's will be notified later today and publishers either this week or next due to BEA (Book Expo of America) going on in New York. Many publicists will be out of the office and attending the festivities.

The next winners post will be on 5/30 or shortly after. 

Enjoy!

A Second Helping of Murder by Christine Wenger
Winner: Carol Wong

Murder at Westminster Abbey by Amanda Carmack
Winner: Brooke Bumgardner

A Killing Notion by Melissa Bourbon
Winner: Alicia Farage

Midnight Pursuits by Elle Kennedy
Winner: Anne Berger

The Red Lily Crown by Elizabeth Loupas
Winner: Virginia Winfield

Betting the Rainbow by Jodi Thomas
Winner: Rita Wray

Review and Giveaway: The Guild

The Guild (Guardians of Destiny - Book 3) by Jean Johnson

Publication Date: 05/06/2014
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Berkley Sensation
Genre: Fantasy Romance/ Paranormal
Pages: 400
ISBN-10: 042526226X
ISBN-13: 978-0425262269

(Received for an honest review from Berkley Sensation)

Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Indiebound

Jean Johnson on the WEB: website, twitter, facebook, goodreads

Books in the series: 

Guardians of Destiny

1. The Tower 
2. The Grove
3. The Guild

Coverart: Click the Image for a larger, clearer view of the covers in this series.

Excerpt from, The Guild, courtesy of Amazon's Look Inside feature.

Synopsis:

THE NEW GUARDIANS OF DESTINY NOVEL 

Cult’s awareness, it shall rise:
Hidden people, gather now;
Fight the demons, fight your doubt.
Gearman’s strength shall then endow,
When Guild’s defender casts them out. 

For centuries, the mages of Mekhana have done their best to hide themselves and their powers from the rapacious needs of their so-called Patron Deity, Mekha. Greatest of their secrets is the Vortex, a Fountain hidden in the heart of the Hydraulics Guild. But even after the dissolution of Mekha and the freeing of his people, Alonnen isn’t ready to reveal his guardianship to outsiders. Particularly when the remnants of Mekha’s priesthood start looking for a new monstrosity to worship.

Rexei has hidden more than her powers for most of her life; she has also hidden her gender, wary of the hungers of the old priesthood. Only in the safety of the Hydraulics Guild’s innermost secrets can she be herself. While the rest of her people struggle to reinvent themselves and find a deity they can trust, Rexei struggles to trust just one man, the Guardian of the Vortex. Events are moving fast, though; the priesthood is desperate for any new source of power, even a demonic one that requires certain sacrifices to access.

Thoughts:

Jean Johnson continues her Guardians of Destiny series, with the character driven third book, The Guild. Steampunk and fantasy romance fans will love the extreme detail and fantastic world building in this series, featuring a political and religious environment that will take their breathe away. Johnson builds this series from a prophecy that affects every character and person in her world. Where obligation and honor are above all else and protecting the secrets of the guilds may be more than just an duty.

What I liked:

I am a fan of fantasy all types. I am a fan of steampunk, though I feel I am relatively new to the genre. I am a fan of paranormal stories. The Guardian's of Destiny series, satisfies all three of these reading pleasures for me. Jean Johnson's books are about magic and machines and supernatural abilities and all things that make a reader question the laws of the universe and where they fit into it. Her world building is phenomenal and her character development is exceptional. I look forward to every one of her books coming out. The Guild is book three in the series and is just as good or better than all those that have come before.

This series thrives on the complexity of it's world building. Johnson has created a world that is continually developing and changing with each new book to the series. It is all based on a political and religious civilization that is overwhelmed by it's magical properties. There is simply too much magic. Religious orders have sprung up serving deities of every kind and bringing an organized form of chaos to the world, but the boundaries are slipping. Some gods are being destroyed while other more terrifying deities are surfacing. The guilds hold secrets that not even all the priests know about and in this third book in the series it is evident that there are more dangerous things lurking in the dark than even the guardians know about. 

I loved the eerie quality that surrounded this book. It was just a feeling that permeated the fabric of the story. The reader may feel a bit unsettled and unsure that they have it all figured out. The Guild completely changed my perspective on where Johnson was taking this series. At first that was disconcerting because I felt a little left out of the loop but as the book progressed and more and more was revealed I got really excited to see what happened next. The world is surely in dire trouble but Johnson focuses more on the plight and circumstances of her characters than the ultimate save the world scenario. That was refreshingly different for the genre, and kept me guessing as to how it would all play out in the end.

Rexei and Alonnen were a great pair. He a guardian of the Vortex, deep in the Hydraulic's guild and she a mage who has hidden her identity, as well as, her gender for most of her life. Their romance was a slow build up to a passionate relationship and I was glad that Johnson chose to go a different route and make their specific story and love even more important the overall series goal of saving the world. It made it so much more intimate and realistic. Because in the midst of life's storms, is often where love blooms. The concept worked amazingly well. 

There are some steamy moments in this one, and there are some moments of levity. There are evil gods and demons, fantastic machines and more magic than the reader will know what to do with, but at the heart of it all is a man who knows where his duty lies and woman who is just now coming out of her cocoon and spreading her wings as a mage. Johnson obviously has a complex vision for this series and I love the fact that I can't exactly put my finger on it. 

What I didn't like:

This one is a bit too complex to be read as a stand alone. The dynamics of the guilds, the deities and the guardians themselves, build throughout the series. The romantic elements can be read alone, but I think the reader will really be missing out not to read them in order.

Bottom Line:

This is a fantastic fantasy romance book, with great steampunk elements and a romance that is breathtaking. I loved everything about it, from the complexity of the world building to intricate character development. If you are fan of this kind of writing you can't miss with this author. 

The Guild is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 5 out of 5 apples from my book bag!

About the Author:

Jean Johnson lives in the Pacific Northwest with her family. She is the author of the Sons of Destiny novels and the Guardians of Destiny novels

Giveaway Details:

The publisher is sponsoring a giveaway for one copy of The Guild by Jean Johnson.

~ You must be an email subscriber to participate.
~ US addresses only.
~ The deadline to enter this giveaway is Midnight EST, June 2nd.

1. Please leave a comment about other fantasy romance series that readers might enjoy.

2. Please fill out the FORM.

Review and Giveaway: Dreams of Lilacs

Dreams of Lilacs (De Piget - Book 16) by Lynn Kurland

Publication Date: 05/06/2014
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Berkley Jove
Genre: Historical Romance
Pages: 336
ISBN-10: 0515153478
ISBN-13: 978-05151534477

(Received for an honest review from Berkley Jove)

Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Indiebound

Lynn Kurland on the WEB: website, blog, facebook, goodreads

Books in the series: 

De Piget

  1. Another Chance to Dream
  2. If I Had You
  3. Dreams of Stardust
  4. When I Fall in Love
  5. The Gift of Christmas Past (in The Christmas Cat)
  6. One Enchanted Evening
  7. This Is All I Ask
  8. The More I See You
  9. From This Moment On
10. To Kiss in the Shadows (in Tapestry)
11. Stardust of Yesterday
12. Til There Was You
13. One Magic Moment
14. All For You
15. Roses in Moonlight
16. Dreams of Lilacs

Coverart: Click the Image for a larger, clearer view of the covers in this series.

Excerpt from, Dreams of Lilacs, courtesy of Amazon's Look Inside feature.

Synopsis:

Isabelle de Piaget is determined to elude her overprotective family by means of a hasty escape to France. But instead of making a surprise visit to her brother there, she winds up shipwrecked on the French coast with no memory of who she is or how she came to awaken in the dark and forbidding castle of an equally brooding lord.

Gervase de Seger rescues—very reluctantly—the bedraggled urchin he finds on the road and puts her to work where he can ignore her. Unfortunately, he soon realizes that her brother is an intimidating lord who is going to be absolutely furious when he learns that his beloved sister has been laboring as a scullery maid. Yet Isabelle may be the one who holds the key to solving Gervase’s most pressing problem: that someone has been trying to finish the task of separating him from his title and his lands.

Finding the truth propels Gervase and Isabelle from the buried secrets of half-ruined keeps to the glittering French court, and to the realization that love can blossom in the most perilous circumstances—and in the most unexpected places of the heart . . .

Thoughts:

Lynn Kurland's 16th book in her de Piaget series is a medieval romance with a touch of mystery. Kurland's, Dreams of Lilacs story continues the adventures of the children of Rhys and Gwennelyn de Piaget. Readers who are familiar with the series, know that it is highly character driven and does not involve time travel as some of Kurland's other books do. It is a straight forward love story from a different time. Kurland, who is well known for her fantasy titles, has done as excellent job returning to her historical romance roots with this book. A great addition to a long running series.

What I liked:

I am a fan of Lynn Kurland whether is her high fantasy series, or her romances featuring time travel. But this is the first of the de Piaget series that I have read. Coming into the series at book sixteen did provide a few challenges, but never the less, Kurland continues to impress me with her writing. Apparently, each of the de Piaget books can be read as stand alone titles. Dreams of Lilacs certainly fell into that category, but I became intrigued with Isabelle's family and now want to read more about them. Kurland's books always feature well developed characters and stories that readers will find enchanting. This one was a sweet love story with a bit of mystery that kept my attention throughout and made me appreciate a good well written love story.

Isabelle was a quite a young woman. When she finds out that her family is in danger, she goes to drastic lengths to help them. Even cutting her hair and pretending to be a boy to secure passage on a ship to France. I loved the shipwreck twist in the plot and Isabelle's amnesia. It provided a great way for her to meet her hero, Gervase. I thought Isabelle was cunning and clever. She may not have been the daring beauty her sister Amanda was, but she had her own strengths and I was glad that Kurland allowed her to see her worth and challenge her ideas about herself. To me that was one of the best parts of the novel. 

Gervase was one of my favorite kinds of heroes. He was an honorable man, but a bit broody. Having once been an knight of France, he was injured in a fire that almost took his life. This had left him on edge, feeling somewhat unworthy and dealing with his disabilities in by being hard to get along with and grumpy. He wasn't an alpha male character, he didn't press his will upon Isabelle, but he garnered respect and gave off a sense of authority that felt right for the character. The mystery surrounding who was trying to kill him and how it tied in with what was happening with Isabelle's family was intriguing though somewhat easy to figure out. 

I loved the secondary characters from Isabelle's brothers, Miles and Robin to Gervase's brothers who Isabelle ends up tutoring. I thought the mistaken identity angle of Isabelle, a lady, working as scullery maid was fun and added a great deal of humor to the story as well. When the brothers arrive to save their sister from her plight, things get even more interesting as they get in on the mystery surrounding Gervase as well. Kurland proves once again that a story involving family is always appealing in this kind of genre. Now I have to go back and read all the others about this amazing bunch of people.

What I didn't like:

As I said, there was a bit of predictability to this one, in the fact that there are very few reasons why someone is out to kill a Lord. In historical romance it is generally to take his title and lands and has to be someone closely associated with him. I liked the mystery aspect of the story, but it was a bit light. Most of this book is centered securely on the romantic elements and left little time for the mystery. 

Bottom Line:

I liked this one a lot and I want to read more of the de Piaget books now that I have had a taste of this interesting family. I thought that the hero and the heroine were well suited for each other and that their relationship developed in a slow and satisfying manner. There isn't much heat, but it isn't necessary with all of the other good things about it. 

Dreams of Lilacs is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 apples from my book bag! 

About the Author:

Lynn Kurland is the New York Times bestselling author of numerous novels and novellas including the Nine Kingdom series, the de Piaget Family series, and the McLeod Family series.

Giveaway Details:

The publisher is sponsoring a giveaway for one copy of Dreams of Lilacs by Lynn Kurland.

~ You must be an email subscriber to participate.
~ US addresses only.
~ The deadline to enter this giveaway is Midnight EST, May 30th.

1. Please leave a comment about any books you may have read with a French historical setting. 

2. Please fill out the FORM.

Blog Tour Stop: Breakable by Tammara Webber (Review and Giveaway)

Breakable (Contours of the Heart - Book 2) by Tammara Webber

Publication Date: 05/06/2014
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Berkley Books
Genre: New Adult
Pages: 368
ISBN-10: 0425266869
ISBN-13: 978-0425266861

(Received for an honest review from Berkley Books)

Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Indiebound

Tammara Webber on the WEB: website, twitter, facebook, goodreads

Books in the series: 

Contours of the Heart

1. Easy
2. Breakable

Coverart: Click the Image for a larger, clearer view of the covers in this series.

Excerpt from, Breakable, courtesy of Amazon's Look Inside feature.

Synopsis:

A Contours of the Heart Novel

As a child, Landon Lucas Maxfield believed his life was perfect and looked forward to a future filled with promise—until tragedy tore his family apart and made him doubt everything he ever believed.

All he wanted was to leave the past behind. When he met Jacqueline Wallace, his desire to be everything she needed came so easy…

As easy as it could be for a man who learned that the soul is breakable and that everything you hoped for could be ripped away in a heartbeat.

Tammara Webber, the New York Times bestselling author of Easy, now delivers a daring and entirely new perspective on love, and why falling for it is beyond our control.

Thoughts:

Tammara Webber's second book in the Contours of the Heart series, is not a sequel. It's not a prequel. It's a totally different animal. Readers are treated to parts of the Easy story from Lucas' point of view, while also learning the beginning of the story. What happened before. Landon and Lucas were totally different and now the reader will know why. Webber has gone to great lengths to expand on her first book and to give readers an original experience with Breakable. It is a coming of age story, that will have the reader going between heartbreak and joy. A an immensely unique and creative book by an up and coming author.

What I liked:

Easy was probably one of my favorite YA/New Adult novels ever. It wasn't your typical angsty story about a guy meeting a girl, they fall in love and live happily ever after. Not by a long shot. Easy dealt with some very serious topics including sexual assault. Lucas was in college at the time and his relationship with Jacqueline is anything but run of the mill. I have read a lot of books in my lifetime and I would be remiss if I didn't say, this was one of the best. With Breakable I was both excited and skeptical. I wasn't sure Webber could top a book of such magnitude and resonance. 

Breakable is not just a re-telling of Easy from Lucas' younger self. It is a lot more than that. It goes back in time before the events of Easy. It takes the reader back into Lucas life, when he was still Landon. Landon was a mess. He had suffered a great loss and his outlook on life was less than perfect. He courted danger and sunk to some of lowest points I could imagine for someone of his age. It was tragic and it was poignant and it was so emotional that the reader will like feel wrung out of emotion when it comes to an end. I think it is imperative that the reader understand that this boy, becomes a man, with a lot of tough lessons and tough love. I loved seeing that part of him start to wake up from his grief. Webber takes the idea of re-writing a story from a different POV and turns it on it's head with this book. It's so much more!

Breakable can be read as a stand alone, but I think it's important for the reader to read Easy first. Breakable tells some of the events and feelings from Lucas' point of view, but it does not go into the detail that the original book gives. This book is meant to be read after Easy and I hope readers take that into consideration. Learning how Landon became Lucas was an experience that would not have made near as much sense had it really come first.

What I didn't like:

I liked this entire book. The concept was unique and the delivery was unprecedented. I thought Webber pulled off something that not many authors could do. She made a re-telling of a story almost as important as the original.

Bottom Line:

If you read Easy you have to read this book. It just makes everything make sense. If you haven't read Easy, you are missing out. Read it and then read Breakable. It's a coming of age story. It's realistic portrayal of grief in it's extreme. It's a story about change and growth and figuring out not only who you are, but who you want to be. This is great one! 

Breakable is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 5 out of 5 apples from my book bag!

About the Author:

Tammara Webber, New York Times bestselling author of Easy, is a hopeful romantic who adores novels with happy endings, because there are enough sad endings in real life. Before writing full time, she was an undergraduate academic advisor, economics tutor, planetarium office manager, radiology call center representative, and the palest person to ever work at a tanning salon. She married her high school sweetheart, and is Mom to three adult kids and four very immature cats.

Giveaway Details:

The publisher is sponsoring a giveaway for one copy of Breakable by Tammara Webber.

~ You must be an email subscriber to participate.
~ US addresses only.
~ The deadline to enter this giveaway is Midnight EST, May 29th.

1. Please leave a comment about your first love.

2. Please fill out the FORM.

Review and Giveaway: Cure for the Common Breakup

Cure for the Common Breakup by Beth Kendrick

Publication Date: 05/06/2014
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: New American Library
Genre: Women's Fiction
Pages: 336
ISBN-10: 0451465857
ISBN-13: 978-0451465856

(Received for an honest review from New American Library)

Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Indiebound

Beth Kendrick on the WEB: website, twitter, facebook, goodreads

Other books I have reviewed by this author: 

The Bake Off
The Lucky Dog Matchmaking Service

Coverart: Click the Image for a larger, clearer view of the books I have reviewed by this author.

Excerpt from, Cure for the Common Breakup, courtesy of the author's website.

Synopsis:

Welcome to Black Dog Bay, a tiny seaside town in Delaware known as “the best place in America to bounce back from your breakup.” Home to the Better Off Bed-and-Breakfast, the Eat Your Heart Out bakery, and the Whinery bar, Black Dog Bay offers a haven for the suddenly single. 
 
Flight attendant Summer Benson lives by two rules: Don’t stay with the same man for too long and never stay in one place. She’s about to break rule number one by considering accepting her boyfriend’s proposal—then disaster strikes and her world is shattered in an instant.
 
Summer heads to Black Dog Bay, where the locals welcome her. Even Hattie Huntington, the town’s oldest, richest, and meanest resident, likes her enough to give her a job. Then there’s Dutch Jansen, the rugged, stoic mayor, who’s the opposite of her type. She probably shouldn’t be kissing him. Shedefinitely shouldn’t be falling in love.
 
After a lifetime of globe-trotting, Summer has finally found a home. But Hattie has old scores to settle and a hidden agenda for her newest employee. Summer finds herself faced with an impossible choice: Leave Black Dog Bay behind forever, or stay with the ones she loves and cost them everything....

Thoughts:

Beth Kendrick's latest book, Cure for the Common Breakup is a fast, easy, read that will have fans lining up to visit Black Dog Bay. The concept of this book was both original and entertaining. A town for the broken-hearted, complete with a wicked matron and a sexy mayor. Kendrick never disappoints when it comes to writing snappy fresh dialogue and creating characters that readers can identify with. Who hasn't had a broken heart at one time or another? Another great read from a master of women's fiction.

What I liked:

Beth Kendrick is one of those authors that just puts a smile on the face of her readers. When a reader sees one of her books coming out, they know what to expect... the unexpected. Kendrick has a knack for coming up with original ideas and concepts, but still keeping them close to a woman's heart. Most women have suffered a breakup or heartache sometime in their lives and the concept of a town especially for those suffering souls, was a brilliant idea. Kendrick takes her trademark skills with characterization and dialogue and brings Black Dog Bay to life. 

This is a one of a kind setting, complete with a great cast of secondary characters and places and names that will stick in the readers head for a long time after the book is done. Setting the book in Delaware was something I didn't expect. I mean what do I know about Delaware, except that it's one of the smallest states in the union. That's about it. So a book set in that locale was original in itself. But Black Dog Bay was especially interesting. I loved The Whinery where the brokenhearted could drown their sorrows and the Ear Your Heart Out bakery where they could find all the chocolate they needed. It was creative and full of surprises, Kendrick really outdid herself with this one.

Summer is a character readers first met in Kendrick's previous book, The Week Before the Wedding. She was a real go-getter in that one and she hasn't changed much in the interim. She is a flight attendant that almost dies in a plane crash, who leaves her job and her ex behind and attempts to start over. She lands in Black Dog Bay and the town will never be the same. Summer had spunk, she was  a great character who didn't take things lying down. It's what I sometimes call 'moxie'. She was just a joy to read about. Readers will love her attitude on life and they will be able to relate to her struggle. A great character!

There always has to be some kind of conflict or evil in a story to make it work. In this case the bad guy is actually a bad old lady. Hattie Huntington was a gem of a villain. She was old and set in her ways and she had her own master plan for Black Dog Bay and Summer played right into her hand. I thought Kendrick did a great job of creating a villain that was believable and understandable to some degree. The dialogue between Summer and Hattie is probably one my favorite things about this book. It was full of banter and snappy come backs. So much fun to read.

What I didn't like:

As with most books of this type there was a bit of predictability. Readers know that in the end Summer will get her happy-ever-after. But with this one it's all about the journey and the fact that heartache doesn't have to define you. I liked it more because I knew how it would go, than if I didn't.

Bottom Line:

This is women's fiction at it's best. Light, fun and full of humor. The girl gets the guy and the town was amazing. I think this is Kendrick's best book to date and readers couldn't find a more perfect summer beach read.

Cure for the Common Breakup is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 5 out of 5 apples from my book bag!

Beth Kendrick grew up in New England, but now lives in sunny Arizona, where she dreams of white Christmases and colorful fall foliage. She hasn't watched a horror movie in years, as doing so requires her to sleep with the closet light on. (Yes, really.) She is the author of The Week Before the Wedding, The Lucky Dog Matchmaking Service and The Bake-Off, along with six other novels.

Giveaway Details:

The publisher is sponsoring a giveaway for one copy of Cure for the Common Breakup by Beth Kendrick.

~ You must be an email subscriber to participate.
~ US addresses only.
~ The deadline to enter this giveaway is Midnight EST, May 29th.

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