Review: The Perfume Collector by Kathleen Tessaro

"You see, nothing is more immediate, more complete than the sense of smell. In an instant, it has the power to transport you. Your olfactory sense connects not the the memory itself, but to the emotion you  felt when that memory was made. To recreate a scent memory is one of the most challenging, eloquent pursuits possible. It's poetry, in its most immediate form."

***

Ever since my yoga teacher began laying cloths spritzed with essential oils over my eyes during final rest time (Savasana), I've considered concocting my own unique fragrance. Nothing sultry or elegant, but a delicate aroma which could trigger scent memories, carrying me away to a place of consummate relaxation. I haven't done it yet, but after reading this book, I want to even more.

THE PERFUME COLLECTOR tells the tale of Grace Munroe, a sheltered 1950s young Englishwoman seemingly unsuited for her current situation. The former debutante from an aristocratic family married well, yet she never fits into the fashionable social scene. Though she tries to fulfill her expectations, her outspokenness, and intellectual aspirations leave her feeling detached from her contemporaries.

A spark of excitement (and confusion) ignites her world when she receives in inheritance from an unknown benefactor in France. After she discovers her husband may be having an affair (with a socialite who is the very antithesis of her), she impulsively flies to Paris to unravel the mystery.

The story flips in narration between Grace and the mysterious benefactor, Eva d'Orsey, who we first meet as an orphaned young maid in the 1920s. Eva's story takes us from New York to Monte Carlo, as she uses her wits, looks, and unusual talents to rise out of a life of servitude. . . in a way.

Grace's quest to discover her connection to Eva leads her to a stunning Paris apartment and a long-abandoned Left Bank perfume shop filled with the lingering scent of secrets. By following the scent, Grace uncovers the story of brilliant perfumer and his muse, and how one can trust their own scent memories to remember the past.

Almost everyone loves a Cinderella story. Personally, I'd rather read about smart woman transformed by a sleek haircut and stunning black Balenciaga dress than a prince and a frou-frou ballgown. While this story certainly has a fairy godmother, the happily ever after focuses on a woman's journey to find herself, not her prince charming.

The supporting characters are eccentric, egotistical, and fun to read, adding another layer of sometimes maniacal charm to the story. And as always, I love a novel that can sweep me to faraway times and places while educating me a bit on subjects I know little about. I'll escape to Paris any day, and I had no idea how fragrances were extracted—fascinating!

The dual storylines blend intoxicatingly creating a sweeping jaunt through the decades. **possible spoiler*** Though the final mystery was no great surprise, it was still an enjoyable ride.


Though the  THE PERFUME COLLECTOR is over 400 pages, it is an easy read, the plot carrying readers along at a quick pace.


I'll certainly pay finer attention to the scents around me, and I'll make sure I spritz some of my signature scent, Channel Allure, before I walk out the door each day.

 THE PERFUME COLLECTOR is the She Reads August selection.
For more about the book, the author, and general book love, check out SheREADS.org.


About the Author: Kathleen Tessaro is the author of ELEGANCE, INNOCENCE, and THE DEBUTANTE. She lives in Pittsburgh with her husband and son.



THE PERFUME COLLECTOR
by Kathleen Tessaro
HarperCollins Publishers
469 pages

Review: The Firebird by Susanna Kearsley

"He sent his mind in search of me that morning."

Nicola Marter was born with a gift so rare and dangerous she keeps it buried deep. When she encounters a desperate woman trying to sell a small wooden carving called "The Firebird," claiming it belonged to Russia's Empress Catherine, it's a problem. There is no proof.

But Nicola's held the object. She knows the woman is telling the truth.

With elements of mystery and magical realism, The Firebird intertwines contemporary romance with historical drama, sweeping readers from modern day Scottland to 18th century Russia. I hadn't read a historical fiction book in a while, so this was a refreshing change. I don't think I've picked up a historical with elements of the paranormal since Deborah Harkness's last release.

In present day London, Nicola works with fine Russian works of art. While she's a savvy and well educated woman who excels at her position, she also has a secret: she can see an object's past with just a touch. Nicola fears her power, for the most part ignoring it, until the day she sees—actually "sees"—the visitor's firebird in the presence her ancestor, Anna, and the  Empress Catherine. But without revealing her visionary powers, she has no proof. 

Knowing she cannot control her power enough to trace the origins of the firebird and prove its provenance, Nicola seeks out Rob, a man from her own past—a man gifted with the power to envision history from just being in proximity. A man she once may have loved.

Nicola easily enlists Rob to join her in her quest to prove the firebird's provenance. Rob, a kind-hearted policeman, is more interested in developing Nicola's talents and possibly rekindling their relationship. Together they travel from seaside Scottish ruins, to rainy streets where a Belgian covenant once stood, to the palaces of St. Petersburg.

Anna's story is more intriguing than Nicola's present day quest. A child born during the Jacobean Rebellion, she's been hidden away from her parents' powerful enemies. Allies faithful to her family's cause—a grandfatherly colonel and a mysterious soldier— whisk her away when danger nears. Clever Anna makes her way in her ever changing worlds, finding strength, family, and love in  times where no one is who they seem.

I found the tales of the Jacobites who fled to Russia to serve Their King James in the Russian courts of Peter the Great interesting, as that is a slice of history I don't recall studying thoroughly. And, as you may know from my previous reviews, I love learning something while engrossed in a work of fiction.

Kersley supposedly continues some story lines from her previous novel, The Winter Sea. (I've yet to read it, so I won't mention anything as it may be a spoiler.)

The Firebird will appeal to lovers of historical fiction. It's elements of paranormal and romance are far from overwhelming, and this would be a lovely read to pair with a cup of tea on a chilly day.


 The Firebird is the She Reads July book club selection.The wonderful women at She Reads are giving away FIVE copies of THE FIREBIRD. One reader will receive this book and four more of Susanna’s novels.(Again, thanks to the wonderful people at Sourcebooks).  Visit SheReads.com today for your chance to win, and throughout the month to discover more about the book, the author, and other fabulous summer reads!




The Firebird
by Susanna Kearsley
Sourchebooks
530 pages

Review: The Mermaid of Brooklyn by Amy Shearn

"For a woman in my state, a free afternoon was a dangerous proposition."

Jenny Lipkin is an average, stretched-too-thin Brooklyn mom, tackling the challenges of raising two children in a cramped Park Slope walk-up and bonding with other moms about breast-feeding while spending endless hours in Prospect Park. All she really wants is to survive the sweltering New York summer with a shred of sanity intact. But when her husband, Harry, a compulsive gambler, vanishes one evening without a word, Jenny finally reaches her breaking point. And in a moment of despair, a split second decision changes her life forever. Pulled from the brink by an unexpected (and, as it turns out, sometimes annoying) supernatural ally, Jenny is forced to rethink her ideas about success, motherhood, romance, and relationships. Confronting her inner demons—of both the mermaid and non-mermaid variety—is no easy task, and eventually Jenny has to come to terms with who she truly is, for better or worse.

                                                               ~~from The Mermaid of Brooklyn reading guide

I loved this book, even though it drove me nuts sometimes. 

Shearn perfectly captures the endless doldrums of parenthood: those days when a mother can be stretched to the breaking point by the self-perpetuating demands of society and by the episodic little terrorists of our her creation. How a mother can completely loose herself as her mind withers and she can't even pick up Cheerios from the floor or comprehend how they keep ending up there. How she can love her kids, yet sometimes be afraid of who they may be.

Everything in the story happened to Jenny. She let herself fall into this pit of despair, in a way not taking any responsibility for how she fell into this pit (and later "fell" off the Brooklyn Bridge). Her husband, who isn't the greatest guy, goes out for a pack of cigarettes and never comes back— and she's kind of okay with that. She's depressed and/or struggling with postpartum depression, but even after contemplating suicide, she won't go back on her meds. Perhaps she's just weak or overwrought.

Jenny snaps, and in a moment of darkness, dies. Or she thinks she dies. She slips off the Brooklyn Bridge only to be brought back from the depths of the with the soul of a rusalka (a menacing mermaid from Slavic lore) who strives to live vicariously through Jenny. She returns  to her hum-drum yet precarious life refreshed and ready to regain control of her two undisciplined young daughters, sew magical reproduction dresses, and aim her pent-up sex drive at the neighborhood stay-at-home dad.

At times, I wasn't sure if Jenny was possessed by a supernatural being or if she was bipolar. The mermaid who supposedly roamed the East River (excuse me—ruskala —one of the "the unavenged spirits of suicides, forsaken girls, betrayed brides, unwed mothers-to-be") acted as the polar opposite of Jenny, so she may have been an easy out for Jenny to release her impulses. Or she could have been a fairy tale creature. I'm still not sure. And I don't know if it matters to the plot. The story is painted as "magical" so I guess we'll go with the modern fable twist.

All of Jenny's issues bring me back to the issue of likable characters, a point that has been driving me crazy in my own writing lately. Sometimes I wanted to hug Jenny, help her get through the day. Sometimes I simply wanted to smack some sense into her. When Jenny's apartment grew to call-child-services messy (just clean up the spilled milk already!), I wanted to calmly explain how it IS possible to shower with kids. But she touches on ideas that modern moms think but don't dare say—"I hated that I felt like I had to be unhappy in order for it to count as important." Yes. We never utter this aloud, but stress,contentment, and importance form a sticky web many moms can't untangle. 


I don't believe we need a character to be our best friend for us to find her story compelling and readable. A real character is not necessarily always nice, even in Women's Fiction. I empathized with her as if she was a friend or relative who I still liked, though I may not approve of her choices. And I wanted to discover where those iffy choices would lead.

Which makes it a good story.

Shearn's writing is insightful, sharp, and sometimes wickedly funny. Though the Park Slope stay-at-home-mom is a slightly different breed from my own suburban Florida variety (and she skewers us weak suburbanites often), she nailed the frantic ennui. Jenny, and the story, possess a depth and cleverness that sometimes borders on literary without being pretentious.

You may want to hug Jenny, you may want to toss her off a bridge, but you'll have to decide for yourself. Whether you've enjoyed or endured the traumas of this generation's touchy-feely-parenting, this story will resonate with modern moms. The Readers Guide at the end is excellent—The Mermaid of Brooklyn would make a fabulous selection for some feisty book club discussions.

The Mermaid of Brooklyn
by Amy Shearn
368 pages
Touchstone, April 3, 2013

Amy Shearn Writes  | Twitter   | Facebook

Review: Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline

From Harper Collins: Orphan Train is a gripping story of friendship and second chances from Christina Baker Kline, author of Bird in Hand and The Way Life Should Be. 

Penobscot Indian Molly Ayer is close to “aging out” out of the foster care system. A community service position helping an elderly woman clean out her home is the only thing keeping Molly out of juvie and worse... 

As she helps Vivian sort through her possessions and memories, Molly learns that she and Vivian aren’t as different as they seem to be. A young Irish immigrant orphaned in New York City, Vivian was put on a train to the Midwest with hundreds of other children whose destinies would be determined by luck and chance. 

Molly discovers that she has the power to help Vivian find answers to mysteries that have haunted her for her entire life – answers that will ultimately free them both.

Rich in detail and epic in scope, Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline is a powerful novel of upheaval and resilience, of unexpected friendship, and of the secrets we carry that keep us from finding out who we are. 

My review: 

From a historical standpoint, this book captured my attention. Before I read Laura Moriarty's The Chaperone earlier this year, I'd never heard of the "orphan trains." Between 1854 and 1929, thousands of orphaned and abandoned children were packed up like damaged goods, shipped from the East Coast to the Midwest, then  passed off to any adult with an interest in a child. Didn't matter what that interest might be—older boys sometimes became field hands, older girls might end up (as in this book) as nannies or seamstresses. The infants and toddlers most likely went to families who actually wanted a child to become a part of their family, but often the older kids (I'm talking eight-ish and up) sometimes ended up as nothing more than free labor.

We know going into this, the now 91-year-old Vivian Daly must not have been one of the lucky children.  After a tragic fire kills her family, she's shipped to Minnesota, and due to hear age and red hair, found hard to place. Life is hard—harder than almost any modern day middle class kids can imagine—as she's bumped between "homes" where she's treated not better than a slave. She's exposed to a life no 9-year-old girl should know. But things like that happened back then—and in some parts of the world today, they still do.

 I almost wanted this book to be a middle grade or YA novel. Something about adult novels told by children and in narrated first person point of view throws me off. Several chapters in, I realized Vivian (then Niamh—her name is changed several times thought her childhood) is the same age as my son. And she was about a thousand times more layered, eloquent, mature, and verbose than he could aspire to be on his best day at age nine. But as the story is told in rotating present tense, every time Vivian had these profoundly beautiful thoughts, I stuttered over the prose a bit, remembering she's only nine. And her only education came by her poor Irish migrant mother teaching her some reading.

If I didn't currently have a kid this age, I don't know if this would have phased me, but...

Now Molly, the 17-year-old modern day foster kid, rang more true to me. Her voice was distinctive. There was a clear shift in point of view.  Even though she was older than the young flashback Viv, she seemed  far less mature, yet age appropriate.


I enjoyed the way Vivian and Molly's relationship grew together, and how by discovering their similarities, they discovered their strengths. Though the times described were often tough, this book was a short, easy, engrossing read. I couldn't help but be drawn into the story, knowing that since present day Vivian seemed not only wealthy, but content, things would eventually turn out for her—but how?

You'll have to read it yourself to find out.

 

Orphan Train is the She Reads May Book Pick.

To WIN ONE OF TEN COPIES visit SheReads.com.





Orphan Train
by Christina Baker Kline
William Morrow, 304 pages 

Christina Baker Kline's Website | Facebook| Twitter 

Review: And Then I Found You by Patti Callahan Henry

Katie Vaughn runs a successful boutique in South Carolina. When she finds an engagement ring in her boyfriend's drawer, she goes into panic mode, realizing she must confront her past before she can move forward. You see, Katie has a secret that has weighed on hear heart for over a decade—a secret which can open up a world of joy or condemn her to more heartbreak.

Flashback: On the first day of spring, thirteen-year-old Katie falls in love with Jack. From their first kiss under a lazy Southern moon they believe they're meant to be. College parts the couple, then law school for Jack. When Katie finds meaning as a counselor for troubled teens in the wilds of Arizona, Jack feels abandoned. He doesn't understand her need to be so far away and pleads with her to return. She keeps telling him just a few months more...a few too many times. On their last visit together, Jack announces he's moving on without her. Emotions run hot, and the couple has one last night together...a night with consequences that will echo for the rest of their lives.

Back in Arizona, Katie discovers she's pregnant, and that Jack has married someone else. She bravely decides to give their daughter, whom they nickname Luna, up for adoption. And they go about their lives, trying to forget, but yearning to fill the empty aching places inside.

Now, thirteen years later, Katie (now calling herself Kate) impulsively decides to track down her first love in an attempt to figure out how it all fell apart, hoping she can mend her heart. She sets of a chain of events that will change them forever.

*********

I loved this book. I'd been meaning to pick up some of Patti Callahan Henry's other novels, so I was overjoyed when She Reads announced And Then I Found You  was the April book pick. Now I must go back and read her previous books while I deal with the guilt of having missed yet another fabulous Southern Women's Fiction writer.

This is a sometimes heartbreaking novel of love and loss, but it's not one to have you crying or feeling sorry for the characters throughout. Kate is pretty tough, closed off and protective even, and feels she did the right thing when she placed her daughter up for adoption. Even though she was twenty-one at the time. Even though she was close to her supportive family—a family who offered to raise the baby for her, who begged her not to give away their first grandchild. She hand picked the family she wanted her daughter to have, with two parents who loved each other and wanted a child more than anything. Her Jack was married, and his commitment lay with his new family.

I wanted to like Jack more than I did.  It vexed me how he never told his wife about Luna (even after they divorced), how he dumped everything on Katie. They had such a rich history. He was a lawyer by then, not just some poor loser boyfriend. But he was married to someone else. He and Katie exchanged letters once a year on Luna's birthday, and that was it. Then when Katie did show up on his doorstep, he still kept that wall up.  

The tension between the two pulled me as if I was on a stretcher. Add in the tightness between Kate and her current beau, Rowan, and I was just frustrated with all men. At times I didn't know who I wanted her to end up with, as I fluctuated between liking and wanting to kick both of the men in her life.

Then there is the whole adoption issue. I don't want to include spoilers, so I'll just say this: the emotions of everyone involved were beautifully written. The angst, the unknowing, the excitement, the desperation, the pure love...it was all there, feeling so real I just wanted to reach out and hug some of the characters. It was not at all surprising to learn that this novel was based on a true story. I only hope the real version worked out so well.

And Then I Found You isn't a tearjerker, but it is a sweet story of love, loss, the need to feel wanted, and ultimately asks if we can open our souls to recapture what was once lost. 

Read it.  {Read an excerpt of And Then I Found You HERE}

Did I mention that Patti Callahan Henry will be featured at one of the author panels at the UCF Book Festival?  (I'll be getting my copy signed for sure.) If you are anywhere near Orlando on April 13th, you won't want to miss this event where book lovers and writers unite. If you're going, drop me a line—I'd love to say 'hi'!

Aaannnddd...as mentioned before, And Then I Found You is the She Reads April Book Club selection.  Head over there and comment for a chance to win one of ten copies of And Then I Found You! 


And Then I Found You
Patti Callahan Henry
April 9th, 2013, St. Martin's Press
272 pages

Patti's Website | Facebook | Twitter  

Review: Heart Like Mine by Amy Hatvany

 When a young mother dies under mysterious circumstances, those she leaves behind begin looking for answers in the past—and find a long-buried secret they could have never imagined.

"I winced a little when she said this, as though she meant that a heart like mine was something defective because I hadn't had children. I didn't think of myself as less able to feel love. But her comments made me question myself and wonder if by missing out on motherhood, I was missing out on something that would make me a better person."

******** 

After basically raising her younger brother and growing up without a strong mother-figure, thirty-six-year-old Grace doesn't want her own kids. Not that she's heartless—she runs a social service program helping battered women rebuild their shattered lives. She just doesn't think she was born with the "mother" gene, and that's okay.

Then she meets Victor, a charismatic restauranteur—and divorced dad. But Grace thinks she can handle the part-time stepmom thing for the right man. Victor's kids, Ava and Max seem nice enough. But just days after Victor pops the question, this ex-wife, Kelli, is found dead. Grace is suddenly thrust into the position of full-time stepmom to the grieving children.

Thirteen-year-old Ava has been taking care of her younger brother and unstable mom since her parents' divorce. She runs their daily lives, doing anything in her power to keep her damaged family afloat, because family is everything... and then everything comes crashing down.

We flashback to Kelli's troubled childhood, to her strict life she struggled to escape. Kelli is by far the most damaged of the three women (or soon-to be women) in this tale, and we discover that much of what she told of her past was lies. Who was this woman Victor married, who loved her children more than anything, who disintegrated before their eyes?

The hardest character to sympathize with was Victor. While he was a wonderful man who loved both his fiancee and his kids, his dedication to his career—his restaurant—often drove him from those who desperately needed him. It's a struggle typical of men,  attempting to balance the demands of a more than full-time career while physically and emotionally being there for his family.  Like the women in the story, I wanted him to be there more.

Heart Like Mine is a wonderful character-driven novel. Hatvany manages to create three distinct women's voices to narrate the story. I identified most with Grace—even though I am the opposite of a childless career woman. I admired her strength, her open-mindedness, and her honesty with herself, even when times got tough. Ava could have become a stereotypical teen girl, but she reveals her many layers as she wrestles with her beloved mother's death and her entire world turned upside down. At times I felt sorry for Kelli, by far the weakest woman in the story, yet at other times I wanted to smack her. A life of lies—even those told with good intentions—never ends well.

I found it interesting how there were no heroes or villains, just regular people, each somehow damaged by their pasts, struggling to do what's right.  As the perspectives switched, my loyalty followed each woman/girl as she shared her tale. 

Heart Like Mine is a compelling story about finding love, family, and acceptance.


Rating:  BUY IT.

Heart Like Mine

by Amy Hatvany

Washington Square Press

March 19, 2013

Amy's Website | Facebook | Twitter

Review: The Possibility of You by Pamela Redmond

Present day: Cait travels the world reporting on tragedies and social issues, suffering from an incurable case of wanderlust. While aiding in the search for a missing child, she gives into a moment of emotional turmoil and sleeps with a fellow journalist—who happens to be married. She gets pregnant. Though her adoptive parents have always been wonderful, she wrestles with feelings of abandonment, and realizes she must discover why her birth mother gave her up before she can decide if she is every capable of loving her own child. The clock is ticking.

1976: Billie's father has just passed away. While cleaning out his house, she discovers a box of letters from a grandmother she's never heard of. Without any money or prospects, she travels with her best friend and recent college grad, Jupe, to New York to meet the only family she has left. What she finds blows her mind. As she gets to know her new family, she falls into a deeper relationship with Jupe (a bisexual African American) and falls pregnant.

1916: Bridget, fresh of the boat from Ireland, works as a nanny for former showgirl and current socialite Maude's young son. When the child suddenly dies, Bridget stays on to help snap Maude out of her depression until she leaves to follow her heart and marry her love. War breaks out, her husband disappears on the front, and Brigit cannot afford to care for her child. She turns to Maude, and everything changes.

I have to say, I didn't see this book coming. It showed up with a lovely batch of novels I won via She Reads Book Club and Gallery books, and I just happened to pick it up the other day, not sure what I was in the mood to read next.

I'm so glad I did. THE POSSIBILITY OF YOU is a fabulous read.

Spanning three generations of women, the novel delves into all the dirty challenges that go along with potential motherhood. Far too many women forget that not every pregnancy is welcomed and not every woman is emotionally, physically, or financially prepared to be a good mother. Even the most virtuous of women can make a mistake and end up wrestling with consequences.

Each of the three main characters make reckless decisions.  I had a bit of trouble sympathizing with Cait in the beginning, as I have little respect for women who knowingly sleep with a married man. But her prickliness was a part of her character, and many people are selfish—the greater question became would Cait, adopted herself, keep the baby that relationship created or give into her self-doubt. Her adoptive mother—I just wanted to reach out to her. I can only hope real life adoptive mothers are so wonderful and supportive.

Redmond deftly carries the story between the generations. Though the way all the women were connected was no great surprise, I enjoyed the way the plot rolled out. The varied time periods were clearly defined and distinctly colored. The choices women must make—from different classes and generations—still shoot straight to the heart.

This book is far more than just a story of women's struggle with reproductive rights. Honestly, I didn't read any particular pro-choice or pro-life agenda, though a woman's right to birth control is pretty damn important. The consequences of terminating a pregnancy, giving a child up for adoption, and abandonment are complex for all involved. 

This would make a wonderful selection for any book club.

THE POSSIBILITY OF YOU
by Pamela Redmond
Gallery Books, 377 pages

Pamela's Website / Twitter / Facebook 

Review: Why Can't I Be You By Allie Larkin

Happy Pub Day to Allie Larkin! Her second novel, WHY CAN'T I BE YOU hits shelves today. Keep reading to see why you should pick up a copy.

Young thirty-something Jenny Shaw's life stinks. No, her house wasn't swept up by a tornado and she didn't just discover she has terminal cancer, but instead of proposing at the airport, her boyfriend dumps her and takes off with her luggage. Her mom is a manipulative piece of work who's not particularly nice even when she's sober. Her PR jr. exec job leaves her far from fulfilled. Jenny has spent so much of her life pleasing others, she's neglected to notice how blase she's become.

A 13th high school reunion just happens to be going on in the same hotel as Jenny's boring conference. When she thinks she hears a stranger call her name in a hotel lobby, she responds—and ends up being mistaken for Jesse, a long lost wild-child best friend. Thrilled to be welcomed and wanted, Jenny slips into Jesse's persona, embracing the stranger's circle of friends and past. But when Jenny finds herself slipping into the arms of Jesse's old crush, things get too real as the lines between what's real and what's wishful thinking blur.

{If you are a teen/young adult of the 90s you'd better have that Cure song stuck in you head now. If not listen here.}

Yes, this is chick lit contemporary women's fiction. It's a sweet, entertaining story that was perfect to lose myself in on a sick day. Yes, I read it in less than 24 hours—because I could. The story carries you along at a crisp pace, and you just can't help wondering when Jenny's cover will be blown.

I groaned internally  a couple of times—first, when poor Jenny gets dumped at the airport. I wanted to smack someone—mostly the boyfriend who admits he has "feelings" for another girl (a fellow volleyball player at that) but a little bit towards our spunky heroine who should have known better. But then again, we've all been there. I cut her some slack and wanted to hug her or buy her a drink at the airport bar.

Then there was the whole impersonating-a-stranger-you-know-nothing-about scenario. Who does that? And gets away with it? And why can't I do that for a weekend? Ah—that's what hooked me. I'd love to slip into the life of someone far cooler and more loved, even more so back in the day when I was a single girl muddling through uninspiring jobs and unfufilling friendships. I couldn't blame Jenny for wanting to jump into the group of friends who seemed to be breathlessly waiting for "Jesse" to reappear in their lives. They were all so nice and well developed. I wanted to have Myra take me home, vent with Robbie in the moonlight, hold Heather's hand. Fish appears as the perfect guy for Jenny—sensitive, outdoorsy, honest, caring. I'd want them to want me, too. And so I let my suspension of disbelief carry me away.

I felt a kinship with Jenny and just couldn't help rooting for her. My parents never divorced and my mom was certainly never a drunk, but like her, I never had that tight group of friends who I knew would never leave me, whose faces would light up and arms would embrace me had I shown up at my high school reunion. So yeah, I'd want to be Jesse, too. . .until the fit hit the shan. But you'll have to read WHY CAN'T I BE YOU  to find out those details.

Read it: It's kind of like a John Hugh's teen flick thirteen years later—a charade filled with angst, sweetness, and what it means to be accepted.


WHY CAN'T I BE YOU
by Allie Larkin
Plume
304 Pages
$9.99 [Kindle] $15 [Paperback]

Allie's website / Twitter / Facebook

Review: Calling Me Home by Julie Kibler

"I knew almost right away Miss Isabelle carried troubles more significant than worrying about the color of my skin. As pretty as she was for an eighty-year-old woman, there was something dark below the surface, and it kept her from being soft. But I was never one to press for all the details—could be that was part of the beauty of the thing. I've learned that people talk when they're ready. Over the years, she became much more than just a customer. She was good to me. I hadn't ever said so out loud, but in ways, she was more like a mother than the one God gave me. When I thought it, I ducked, waiting for the lightening to strike. 

Still, the favor Miss Isabelle asked me, it did come as a surprise."



Calling Me Home is debut author Julie Kibler's story of a heartbreaking, forbidden love in 1930's Kentucky and an unlikely modern-day friendship.

Dorrie's life hasn't turned out as planned. After marrying her high school sweetheart, she dreamed of white picket fences—instead she ended up a single mom running her own small beauty salon in East Texas. She's thinks she's finally found a guy, a good guy, but her previous betrayals by a list of losers has left her unable to trust.

Yet she barely thinks twice when Miss Isabelle, a longtime elderly customer who has turned into a dear friend, asks Dorrie to escort her to a funeral in Cincinnati. The next day. With no real explanation as to why. Close up her shop and leave her kids for a week?  Sure—she has some things to work out anyway (including a nagging suspicion that her teen son may soon be a daddy) and, well, Miss Isabelle needed her.

Once the car trip begins, the two women of different generations and skin colors open up about their pasts. But this is really Miss Isabelle's story. She confesses how at seventeen she fell deeply, madly in love Robert Prewitt, a would-be doctor and the son of her family's black housekeeper. These things did not happen in 1939, in a small Kentucky town where blacks were not even allowed to set foot after dark.

Julie Kibler spins a wonderful tale piping with strong female voices. The story kept me up late not only reading, but reflection upon how horrible things were not so long ago, and how things still aren't quite as they should be. The blatant racism—signs on the edge of town telling "negros" to get out by dark—may be a thing of the past, but the subtle sneers and looks still linger for some.

At times Dorrie and Isabelle's interwoven stories got me spitting mad, and mind went off on silent tirades about ignorance and injustice and just what the hell is wrong with some people and wishing I could banish the intolerant folks to their own island. And then I thought about my son, and how at age six he tried to tell me about one of the kids he'd befriended at the park. I'd asked him to point him out amidst the whole mess of kids tearing around the playground. It took a seemingly infinite amount of descriptors (brown hair, blue shirt, tall, loud voice, dinosaur shoes, standing by that girl) before he even mentioned that the boy had "brown skin." It wasn't important enough to be noticed or commented upon. It gave me hope for the future.

But this book isn't just about race relations. At its heart is a love story—several, in fact. It's a story about following your heart no matter what odds you must overcome. It's a story about learning to trust your heart after it's failed you so many times. And it's a story about how kindness and love can form bonds far stronger than genetics, how family is what you make it. 

I closed Calling Me Home with a delicate gasp, a shy tear, and a heartfelt smile.

This is one you'll pass along to your friends.


Calling Me Home is the February She Reads book club pick. 



Enter to win one of the TEN copies She Reads is giving away, courtesy of St. Martin’s Press (just leave a comment on their post (linked here)–winners will be chosen on Friday)

Calling Me Home
by Julie Kibler
336 pages
$24.95 [hardback] $11.99 [Kindle]
St. Martin's Press


*I received this book courtesy of St. Martin's Press and the She Reads Blogger Network. All opinions are my own.

Review: The Comfort of Lies by Randy Susan Meyers

"Happiness at someone else's expense always came at a price. Tia had imagined judgement from the first kiss that she and Nathan shared. All year she'd waited to be punished for being in love, and in truth, she believed that whatever consequences came her way would be deserved."


Tia is a bright young woman from the South side of Boston who fell hard for a married sociology professor, Nathan. After she discovers she is pregnant with his child, Nathan urges her to take care of it, flees from the relationship, and confesses to his wife. Tia struggles to do what's right. She places their baby up for adoption, afraid she would make a terrible single mother, and even more terrified she couldn't handle the constant reminder of her lost love.

Caving into pressure from her husband, Caroline becomes the adoptive mother to Tia's daughter, Savannah. Motherhood is an afterthought for Caroline, something a woman is supposed to achieve, and she is far more fulfilled in her career as a physician than her role of a mother.

Tia decides to send her old lover a letter telling of their daughters existence. When Nathan's almost forgiving wife, Juliette, intercepts it, the lives of these women suddenly collide with unexpected consequences. The story alternates between the three women's perspectives as they wrangle with the repercussions of that five-year-old affair, matters far more raw than just an out-of-wedlock child.

The Comfort of Lies would make a wonderful book club selection.  The women, instead of falling into rigid characterizations, reveal themselves to be deeply layered and flawed. Each struggles with the pressure to do what's right, even when the answers falls into the grey areas we are often afraid to discuss. The story calls into question what makes a good mother, who deserves to be a mother, and if parenthood is a right or a privilege.  All thought provoking topics ripe for discussion.

I also must add, this book made me reflect upon my own marriage and family, and caused me to treasure these often fragile relationships no matter how imperfect they may be.  The Comfort of Lies is a quietly powerful read, full of heart, both broken and mended.

Release: February 12, 2013

The Comfort of Lies
by Randy Susan Meyers
336 pages, Atria Books
$24 [hardcover], $11.99 [Kindle]



RandySusanMeyers.com/Facebook/Twitter

Island Dreams: Indie Phenom Tracey Garvis Graves

Have you read On the Island yet? If not, you absolutely should. Go over to Bookshelf Bombshells for the full book review.

On the Island's author, Tracey Garvis Graves, could be the poster girl for Indie publishing success stories.

She wrote a compelling, risky, and slightly addictive romance about two people who shouldn't be together stranded on a desert island. She sent off the dreaded query letters hoping to find an agent to represent her. Instead of snapping up the debut author's intriguing story, agents quickly ripped off rejection letters. The book didn't quite fit into the right genres. The storyline could be dangerous. It just wasn't for them.

While most writers would crawl into a cave of self-doubt and shove their precious manuscript into the back of a drawer to rot, Tracey fought back. She decided to self-publish On the Island.

Now, many of us are scared of self-publishing. I know I am. There is the stigma that if you self-pub it's because your book isn't good enough for the mainstream bookstore shelves, it's a sad reject filled with poor grammar, typos, and a plot seemingly contrived by a sixth-grader.

If you have read any of the millions of Indie self-published books out there (and if you haven't, why not?) you know this is not always the case.

She uploaded her edited manuscript onto Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords.

Then this suburban mom harnessed the power of the internet, promoting her  book to the top of the best sellers lists. On the Island became a word-of-mouth (and blog) phenomena.

I learned about the book through another blogger. Actually, several blogs, but when someone who normally doesn't talk about books mentioned it was a must read (thanks MomJovi), I downloaded it that day. Once I pulled up that first page, I was hooked. I stayed up past midnight finishing the book in one day.

Tracey's book sales and loyal fans finally caught the attention of the "big boys." She got an agent, a two-book deal from Penguin, and  MGM even optioned the book for a feature film.(And there's constant online chatter about just which actors should play main characters T.J. and Anna.)

Word of mouth sales keep going up. I should get credit for a few copies in my Costco. Twice I watched a woman pick the paperback up, skim the back cover, look slightly puzzled, and set it down. "That was a great book!" I gushed. "It's not smutty? It sounds ... just ... "  "It's not a 50 Shades. At all. Trust me. Not creepy at all. I read it in a day." They slipped the book into their carts.

Word. Of. Mouth.

Stop by Bookshelf Bombshells to read the full review. Come on: a 30-year-old teacher, her 16-year-old student,  a plane crash,  a deserted tropical island. Can love conquer all despite the odds? Should it? You know you're intrigued.

The Meryl Streep Movie Club: A SheReads Review

Newsflash: Today is the official launch of the She Reads Blog Network!


September's Book Club Pick is The Meryl Streep Movie Club by debut author Mia March:  a novel of love, family, and movie night.

Through everything, Lolly has always been there for them, and now Isabel, June, Kat—and Meryl—must be there for her. Finding themselves. Finding each other. Finding a happy ending.

Fifteen years ago, a New Years Eve car accident shattered Lolly Weller's family. She took in her orphaned nieces Isabel and June and raised them with her daughter Kat, but the girls have not remained close over the years. Now, faced with a tragic diagnosis of her own, Lolly calls them home to her coastal Maine inn to support her—and each other.

Each woman just happens to be at a crossroad in her life. June struggles as the ex-good girl who dropped out of college after her only whirlwind love affair left her as a single mother. Seven years later, she is desperate to discover why her lover abandoned their blooming relationship and her son yearns to find the father he has never known. Isabel is still railing after finding her husband with another woman. Can she brush aside the pain of her betrayal to find the life and the family she has always wanted?  Kat remained by her mother's side all these years, helping Lolly run the The Three Captains' Inn with charm and grace. She's ambivalent about upcoming wedding and wonders if she will be settling instead of following her passions.

The three women, now stuffed together in their old attic bedroom, barely tolerate each other in the beginning.  All it takes is a little Meryl Streep (during the inn's weekly Movie Nights) to get them to open up and see each other—and themselves—in a new light.

The story highlights how movies can touch a part of us we keep hidden and open clogged channels of communication. The "deep meanings" each woman pull from each movie are a tad bit too neat, but they come together nicely to mend the fractures in the family.  I could almost see the light bulbs going off over each character's head she had her "ah-ha!" moment. But movies can do that. Especially Meryl Streep movies.

Though The Meryl Streep Movie Club delves into deep subjects, the writing keeps a light tone. The back cover proclaims it follows in the footsteps of The Friday Night Knitting Club and The Jane Austin Book Club, so readers should keep this genre in mind. Expect to get a bit teary-eyed, but it won't rip you up. It's more Mama Mia than Sophie's Choice (but that's good because I've watched Mama Mia at least a dozen times but can't bring myself to watch Sophie's Choice). I still found it light enough escapism to enjoy at the beach.

If you need a refresher on the classics or you're looking for some movie night suggestions check out the list of all the films mentioned in the book (along with some fun movie & snack pairings) on the publishers website. It's just one of the unique details that would  make this novel an entertaining book club selection. Women's fiction and chick lit fans can not only discuss the book, but their favorite movies as well.

So grab some popcorn, keep a tissue in your pocket (just in case) and curl up in your favorite cozy chair (or beach lounge) with this book about love, loss, and family movie night. Just be prepared to hold your own Meryl Streep movie marathon soon after.  (I just added Out of Africa to my queue—I am embarrassed to admit I've never watched the movie or read the book—a problem I shall soon remedy.)

The Meryl Streep Movie Club

by Mia March
Gallery Books
325 pages


Read more about Mia: Facebook, Twitter and her website.

Review: Wallflower in Bloom by Claire Cook

      "Poor little you. You've got it so bad. All you're after is sympathy. Well, you can find it in the dictionary between shit and syphilis, and it'll do you about as much good."

     "Eww," I said. "Don't you dare ask me to write that down."

Deidre Griffin is more than just an ordinary wallflower — she's her families' indispensable go-to girl and doormat. She lives in the shadow of her charismatic, New Age guru brother Tag—think Deepak Chopra meets Bono—and literally in the shadow of his home (she in a converted sheep-shed, he in the mansion). Though Tag employs his entire family, Deidre is the woman behind the curtain who runs all aspects of his business and life—by sacrificing her own.

When her long-term sometimes boyfriend announces he's going to marry his knocked-up current fling, Deidre does what every woman would want to do: she rams him with her brother's golf cart. Fueled by disappointment and disgrace, she tries to drown her worries in a Ben & Jerry's Triple Caramel Chunk/chocolate soy milk/vodka milkshake. The next morning she discovers she *might* have taken advantage of Tag's vast social network to vote herself into a coveted role on Dancing With the Stars.

Once the DWTS producer starts calling, Deidre realizes she may have conned her way into her opportunity of a lifetime. She decides to hideout in Hollywood, thinking she can escape her family, learn a few dance steps, and drop a few pounds before they realize she's a fraud. A  fabulously talented dance partner, a new love interest (who still liked her after accidentally catching her in her rattiest underwear), and meddling ex-Deadhead family members round out the zany cast of characters on Deidre's journey.

So many of us lose ourselves in our family. This delightful story is a daydream for millions of women who fantasize about breaking out, breaking a leg, and doing something just for themselves. Readers will cheer her on as she strives to learn her dance steps and battles her urges to inhale every junk food in sight. (When in doubt, eat. When in eat doubt.)

Playing into the whole Facebook, Twitter, and Dancing With the Starts frenzy, Wallflower in Bloom is a lively, timely read. I am embarrassed to admit I discovered the magic of Claire Cook books only a few months ago, and I am rushing to catch up on her past novels. Reading them is like settling into your most comfortable chair with your favorite romantic comedy movie or novel. Easy. Funny. Heartwarming.

On a side note: I also admit I've never watched DWTS. ::Cue gasps:: Okay, I did watch once when Heather Mills was on—I had to see how Sir Paul's ex could foxtrot with a prosthetic leg—quite well, actually. Though I'm not a reality TV fan, Wallflower in Bloom gave me new insight into the work that goes on behind-the-scenes of the show. I still don't know if I'll ever watch it, but I absolutely will pick up Claire Cook's next book.

Peace in, peace out.

Wallflower in Bloom

by Claire Cook

257 pages

Touchstone

For more info visit http://clairecook.com, Facebook, or Twitter @ClaireCookwrite.

*Wallflower in Bloom is the She Reads Book Club August selection.  Check out SheReads.org  for author interviews and book club discussions.

**I received this complimentary book from SheReads.org. All opinions are my own.