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Review of A Blindspot for Boys by Justina Chen

9/26/2014

About the book:
Sixteen-year-old Shana Wilde is officially on a Boy Moratorium. After a devastating breakup, she decides it's time to end the plague of Mr. Wrong, Wrong, and More Wrong.

Enter Quattro, the undeniably cute lacrosse player who slams into Shana one morning in Seattle. Sparks don't just fly; they ignite. And so does Shana's interest.

Right as she's about to rethink her ban on boys, she receives crushing news: Her dad is going blind. Quattro is quickly forgotten, and Shana and her parents vow to make the most of the time her father has left to see. So they travel to Machu Picchu, and as they begin their trek, they run into none other than Quattro himself. But even as the trip unites them, Quattro pulls away mysteriously... Love and loss, humor and heartbreak collide in this new novel from acclaimed author Justina Chen.

My Review:
This was my first book by Justina Chen. I really enjoyed the characters and the plot of this book. I loved the emotional aspect of this story as well as the many outrageous and laugh out loud moments (humor definitely had a great role in this story). Don't get me wrong there is also conflict and a lot of family drama as well. Many of the reasons why I found this book so easy to read and didn't want to put it down.

About the Author:
Justina Chen is the acclaimed author of young adult novels including A Blind Spot for Boys, Return to Me, North of Beautiful, and Nothing But the Truth (and a few white lies), which won the Asian Pacific American Award for Youth Literature. She is a co-founder of readergirlz, the online book community for teens, and lives in the Seattle area with her two children.

Connect with the Author:
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Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Review of When We Fall by Emily Liebert

9/24/2014

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About the Book:
Ready for a fresh start, Allison Parker moves back to her hometown in the suburbs of New York. While she’d once savored the dynamic pace of city life, sadly, it lost its allure after her husband’s untimely death. Now, ready to focus on her art career accompanied by her ten-year-old son, Logan, Allison doesn’t anticipate that her past will resurface. When the wife of her husband’s best friend from summer camp takes her under her wing, things begin to spin out of control.

At one time, Charlotte Crane thought she had it all—a devoted husband, a beautiful little girl, and enough financial security to never have to worry. But behind her “perfect” facade lie a strained marriage and a fractured relationship with her sister. When “new girl” Allison arrives in Wincourt, Charlotte welcomes the chance to build a friendship. Before long, Charlotte begins to see her life through Allison’s eyes, and the cracks in her seemingly flawless existence become impossible to ignore.

As Allison heals from the loss of her husband—even wondering if she might be ready to date again—Charlotte feels more distant from her loved ones than ever before. The emerging friendship between the two women appears to be just the antidote both of them so desperately need...until everything falls apart.

My Review:
This is such an amazing book by Emily Liebert. I didn't want to put it down, but at the same time I didn't want it to end. I finished it in less than 24 hours! This is a wonderful story about friendship, relationships, family and of course struggles we might face in life. I grew to love the two main characters, Charlotte and Allison. I was nervous reading this because I was waiting to see what happened between the two of them...the whole "When We Fall" part. But Emily did a great job and didn't disappoint. I don't want to give any spoilers so go grab a copy and enjoy this awesome read!!

About the Author:
Emily Liebert was born and raised in New York City, attended the Horace Mann School and Smith College, where she graduated with a B.A. in English Language & Literature.

After college, Emily landed her first job as an Executive Assistant at ABC News, where she honed her organizational skills and helped produce television specials for Peter Jennings Reporting. To this day, she is a whiz with "To Do" lists.

Since childhood, Emily's had a passion for writing, so when the opportunity to become Editor-in-Chief of The WAG--a luxury lifestyle magazine covering Westchester and Fairfield Counties--presented itself, she jumped at the chance. During Emily's five-year tenure, she wrote hundreds of articles, including celebrity profiles, travel, fashion, and beauty.

Ready for her next adventure, Emily became a full-time freelance writer, penning lifestyle pieces for media outlets such as, The Huffington Post, Oprah.com, Elite Traveler, Robb Report, Gotham, and Cottages & Gardens.

In 2009, Emily edited Kerry Kennedy's New York Times bestseller Being Catholic Now: Prominent Americans Talk About Change in the Church and the Quest for Meaning.

The following year, Emily published her first book, Facebook Fairytales, which was featured at the 2010 Frankfurt Book Fair, and Emily was one of 20 guests of honor--among Elizabeth Kostova, Russell Banks, and Lisa See--at the renowned Literary Feast 2010, a privilege reserved for best-selling and buzz-worthy authors.

Shortly thereafter, Emily was hired by Microsoft as the spokesperson for Bing's partnership with Facebook and appeared in 30+ television and radio spots for the brand, which garnered exceptional ratings.

In 2012, Emily wrote her debut novel, You Knew Me When (Penguin), which published on September 3, 2013. Her second novel, When We Fall will publish in September 2, 2014, and she's currently hard at work on her third and fourth novels, all with Penguin Random House.

Emily is featured often in the press, by outlets such as: Today Show, The Rachael Ray Show, Anderson Cooper, FOX News, Good Day New York, The Couch, Oprah Radio, Martha Stewart Radio, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, InStyle, OK!, Nylon, Ladies' Home Journal, Woman's World, WWD, Woman's Day, The New York Post, The Washington Post, The New York Daily News, The Chicago Tribune, Boston Herald, and The Huffington Post.

When Emily's not writing, she enjoys traveling, cooking, and cozying up with a good book. She's been known to ride on a Harley Davidson. And she does a mean Running Man. Emily lives with her husband, Lewis, and their two delicious little boys, Jaxsyn and Hugo, in Westport, CT where she moved kicking and screaming for fear that there would be no Chinese food delivery at three in the morning. She was right.

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Review of Mating for Life by Marissa Stapley

9/19/2014

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About the Book:
With pitch-perfect honesty and heartwarming humor, this captivating debut explores marriage, motherhood, identity, and what it takes to love someone—family members, friends, or spouses—for life.

Former folk singer Helen Sear was a feminist wild child who proudly disdained monogamy, raising three daughters—each by a different father—largely on her own. Now in her sixties, Helen has fallen in love with a traditional man who desperately wants to marry her. And while she fears losing him, she’s equally afraid of abandoning everything she’s ever stood for if she goes through with it.

Meanwhile, Helen’s youngest daughter, Liane, is in the heady early days of a relationship with her soul mate. But he has an ex-wife and two kids, and her new role as a “step-something” doesn’t come with an instruction manual. Ilsa, an artist, has put her bohemian past behind her and is fervently hoping her second marriage will stick. Yet her world feels like it is slowly shrinking, and her painting is suffering as a result—and she realizes she may need to break free again, even if it means disrupting the lives of her two young children. And then there’s Fiona, the eldest sister, who has worked tirelessly to make her world pristine, yet who still doesn’t feel at peace. When she discovers her husband has been harboring a huge secret, Fiona loses her tenuous grip on happiness and is forced to face some truths about herself that she’d rather keep buried.

Interweaving the alternating perspectives of Helen, her daughters, and the women surrounding them, “each new chapter brings a wise and tender look at single life, dating rituals, and marital unease” (New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Close). In this “absolute feat of storytelling” (bestselling author Grace O'Connell), Marissa Stapley celebrates the many roles modern women play, and shows that even though happy endings aren’t one-size-fits-all, some loves really can last for life.

My Review:
This is a great story about love, relationships and family. The book is based on three sisters and their mom. Each of the four characters have a very unique personality, but I loved how they all blended together. I grew to love each one of them, flaws and all! I enjoyed how the author wrote the chapters in the different character's voices. It worked well with telling their story. This was a great read that will interest many and I look forward to more books by this author.

About the Author:
Marissa Stapley is a National Magazine Award nominated writer and former magazine editor whose work has appeared in the Globe and Mail, National Post, Elle Canada, and many others. Mating for Life (Atria Books; Simon & Schuster Canada) is her first novel. When Marissa is not writing, she’s reading. (In fact, she never goes anywhere without a book. Except maybe swimming.) Some of her favourite authors are Meg Wolitzer, Julia Glass, Alice Munro, John Irving, Lauren Groff, Margaret Atwood and James Salter. She lives in Toronto with her husband and two children, where she teaches writing, and is working on another novel.

Connect with the author:
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Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Review of A Blindspot for Boys by Justina Chen

Review of When We Fall by Emily Liebert

Review of Mating for Life by Marissa Stapley

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