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Wednesday, June 15, 2011

REVIEW & CONTEST: Molly Harper's AND ONE LAST THING.....



Title: AND ONE LAST THING…
Author: Molly Harper
Release Date: July 27, 2010
Publisher: Gallery
Paperback: 320 pages
List Price: $15.00
ISBN-10: 1439168776
ISBN-13: 978-1439168776



My Ratings

Plot: 5/5
Setting: 4/5
Writing: 5/5
Originality of Plot: 5/5
Characters Development: 5/5
Ending: 4.5/5
Cover Art: 5/5
Likelihood to Recommend: 5/5

Overall: 38.5 /40 = 96%


First Line

"If Singletree’s only florist didn’t deliver her posies half-drunk, I might still be married to that floor-licking, scum-sucking, receptionist-nailing hack-accountant, Mike Terwilliger."

(This may be my favorite book beginning in a long time!)

Synopsis

Lacey Terwilliger’s shock and humiliation over her husband’s philandering prompt her to add some bonus material to Mike’s company newsletter: stunning Technicolor descriptions of the special brand of "administrative support" his receptionist gives him. The detailed mass e-mail to Mike’s family, friends, and clients blows up in her face, and before one can say "instant urban legend," Lacey has become the pariah of her small Kentucky town, a media punch line, and the defendant in Mike’s defamation lawsuit.

Her seemingly perfect life up in flames, Lacey retreats to her family’s lakeside cabin, only to encounter an aggravating neighbor named Monroe. A hunky crime novelist with a low tolerance for drama, Monroe is not thrilled about a newly divorced woman moving in next door. But with time, beer, and a screen door to the nose, a cautious friendship develops into something infinitely more satisfying.

Lacey has to make a decision about her long-term living arrangements, though. Should she take a job writing caustic divorce newsletters for paying clients, or move on with her own life, pursuing more literary aspirations? Can she find happiness with a man who tells her what he thinks and not what she wants to hear? And will she ever be able to resist saying one . . . last . . . thing?


My Review

(THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS)
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When you live your entire life for someone else, do you lose who you are? Lacey Terwilliger sure did! She gave up her previous life, her friends, job offers, and even time with family members for her “floor-licking, scum-sucking, receptionist-nailing hack-accountant” husband! (I LOVE THAT LINE) My heart ached for Lacey, while the naught part of me cheered for her when she sought revenge against her philandering, d*ickless, spineless excuse for a husband.

I was very impressed that Lacey made the decision to remove herself from the situation, and move into the cabin by the lake. It was the only way she would be able to start moving on with her life. The moment Lacey’s new neighbor Monroe saw her, he probably knew she was trouble. I mean what kind of crazy person swims naked in a lake at night! There initial interactions were hysterical!!! I just adored Monroe’s character all-around. Lacey and Monroe just have such an easy, light repartee. Who wouldn’t root for them? Plus, there is just something about a sexy, cocky, recluse writer.

I truly believe that if Lacey hadn’t let Monroe into her life, she wouldn’t have been able to start the healing process. This book was about growth and making the right decision rather then the easy decisions. I enjoyed watching Lacey blossom into the vibrant, smart women she was always meant to be. She picked up the pieces of her broken heart and moved on with her life. I also loved that Lacey used writing as a cathartic process.

Even though I enjoyed this entire book, my favorite part had to be the ending. There was no big fake “and they lived happily ever after” ending to this book. No wedding bells. No baby. No running though the airport to keep the love of your life from boarding a plane. It was realistic, and made me appreciate this book that much more.

And soon as I finished this book, I called my best friend to tell her all about it. Being the amazing person that I am, I couldn’t help picking up a copy of AND ONE LAST THING… for my best friend. It is just one of those books that you have to share! It was funny, snaky, real, and thought provoking. I cannot wait to see what Molly Harper writes next!


Author's Websites

Molly's Website
Molly's Blog - Nice Girls Don't Write Naughty Books (With a blog title like that how could we not love her)
Molly's Twitter


Molly Harper - Books








ENTER TO WIN: HOW TO FLIRT WITH A NAKED VAMPIRE

So I'm continuing my contest from my interview with Molly Harper. Enter below for the chance to win one an eBook copy of Molly Harper's newest release: HOW TO FLIRT WITH A NAKED VAMPIRE. The contest closes May 5, 2011 at midnight. The winner will be notified via e-mail and will have FIVE days to respond & claim their prize! Since I'm gifting this eBook through Amazon.com, the winner must be have a US amazon.com account set up to receive their prize.

Here is what you need to do:

  • In the contest entry box below, please leave your first name/last initial and e-mail address
  • Link contest via Twitter/Facebook/Blog 1 point for each link provided.
  • Follow this blog for bonus 2 points! (button located on left-hand side)
  • Follow my twitter for bonus 2 points! (button located on left-hand side)
Rules and Legal Disclaimers:
  • I will use random.org to choose the winner.
  • Contest is open to readers in the USA only.
  • The winner has FIVE days, from the day I e-mail them, to claim your prize. Failure to contact me result in forfeit of your prize. At that time, I will choose either to re-award the prize to another entrant or not.
  • These rules are subject to change or be modified without prior written notice.
  • Contest is void where prohibited.
  • By entering this contest you are agreeing to our terms of entry.
(Scroll down in the box to fill in contest information)

Sunday, June 5, 2011

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Rachel Caine's BITE CLUB (Morganville Vampires Bk 10)


Title: BITE CLUB (Morganville Vampires Bk 10)
Author: Rachel Caine
Narrator: Cynthia Holloway
Release Date: May 3, 2011
List Price: $24.99
Audio CD: MP3 CD - Unabridged edition
Publisher: Tantor Media
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0451233182
ISBN-13: 978-0451233189


My Ratings


Plot: 4/5
Setting: 4.5/5
Writing: 5/5
Originality of Plot: 4/5
Characters Development: 4.5/5
Ending: 5/5
Narration: 5/5
Cover Art: 3/5
Likelihood to Recommend: 5/5

Overall: 40/45 = 88%


Synopsis

"After discovering that vampires populate her town, college student Claire Danvers knows that the undead just want to live their lives. But someone else wants them to get ready to rumble.

There's a new extreme sport getting picked up on the Internet: bare- knuckle fights pitting captured vampires against each other-or humans. Tracking the remote signal leads Claire- accompanied by her friends and frenemies-to discover that what started as an online brawl will soon threaten everyone in Morganville..."

My Review

(THIS REVIEW CONTAINS MINOR SPOILERS)
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Shane Collins has always been a sexy, bad boy, but ever since he joined a new gym he’s become more aggressive and starts turning on his friends.

No matter how many mistakes Shane made, I just kept my faith in him. I knew that something was wrong with him, and it wasn’t all his fault. He isn’t the kind of person that attacks his best friends and the girl he loves. I was also very happy how he handled himself in the end. He was even able to forgive Claire for the secrets that she kept.

I was happy to see that Claire’s faith and love for Shane never wavered, either. She is wise beyond her years, and I kept forgetting how young she is. Not only does she have a brilliant mind, but she is an emotionally strong and caring individual. She had to choose between her life in Morganville and the future that she has always wanted for herself.

Just like in the previous books, the secondary characters shined on their own. It was great to see the personal relationship between Eve and Michael go to the next level, but we’ll have to wait to see how it proceeds from here. Merlin, as always, was a laugh riot. He is the biggest comic relief of this emotionally wrenching series. However, I was a little let down by who was in charge of the fight club. I felt that Rachel could have made up a new power to be and no one would know the difference.

I have to say that my absolute favorite part of this audiobook, was getting the chance to peek into Shane Collins’ head. Ms. Caine took a real chance taking this story from a single POV to a dual POV, and it paid off in spades! The change gave this series a shiny new look and feel. Some authors can continue a series past it’s prime, but this is not the case with this series. With brilliant writing decisions like this, I can see many more great Morganville Vampires books in the future.

Cynthia Holloway’s narration of Bite Club was impressive! I just absolutely adore her narration style. She flows easily from one voice to another, while giving each character their very own unique voice for the reader. It’s one thing narrating a series that from a single-female POV, but Ms. Holloway pulled off narrating this dual-gendered POV spectacularly! She has an amazing ability to convey this series deep emotions from the characters young passion to their sheer terror.

This books twists and turns kept me listening until the wee hours of the morning! I’m so invested in these characters that cannot wait for the next installment of this series.


Related Websites

Rachel Caines's Website
Rachel Caine's Twitter
Rachel Caine's Facebook Fan Page
Buy BITE CLUB on Audioboook
Cynthia Holloway