Articles

Book Review: One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid

one-true-loves-9781476776903_hr

 

ABOUT ONE TRUE LOVES:
In her twenties, Emma Blair marries her high school sweetheart, Jesse. They build a life for themselves, far away from the expectations of their parents and the people of their hometown in Massachusetts. They travel the world together, living life to the fullest and seizing every opportunity for adventure.
On their first wedding anniversary, Jesse is on a helicopter over the Pacific when it goes missing. Just like that, Jesse is gone forever. Emma quits her job and moves home in an effort to put her life back together. Years later, now in her thirties, Emma runs into an old friend, Sam, and finds herself falling in love again. When Emma and Sam get engaged, it feels like Emma’s second chance at happiness.
That is, until Jesse is found. He’s alive, and he’s been trying all these years to come home to her. With a husband and a fiancé, Emma has to now figure out who she is and what she wants, while trying to protect the ones she loves.
Who is her one true love? What does it mean to love truly? Emma knows she has to listen to her heart. She’s just not sure what it’s saying. 

 

62435-addtogoodreads

 


408067962_hrABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Taylor Jenkins Reid is an author and essayist from Acton, Massachusetts. She is the author of Forever, Interrupted, After I Do and Maybe In Another Life. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Alex, and her dog, Rabbit. You can follow her on Twitter @TJenkinsReid.

 


FIND TAYLOR ONLINE:
Website   |    Facebook   |   Twitter   |   Instagram  

Book Review 

*This was an ARC provided to me for free in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and comments are my own.*

Once upon a time I hated romance novels. I hate love triangles, drama and most of all the mushy often cliché writing. I can’t stand to sit and read about flawless, imperfect people and people who don’t struggle or grow. In any novel these are things I still look for. Obviously, you all can tell my opinion of romance novels has changed. I do still have moments where I find a book too cheesy for my liking, but as I’ve grown older, my appreciation for the art of romance/adult fiction has evolved and I do love a good romance novel. Although I wouldn’t classify Taylor Jenkins Reid’s writing as simply romance, I’d say it could be categorized as contemporary adult/women’s fiction with romantic elements — with a lesson or two thrown into the mix. Definitely more along the lines of what I love to read. 
I discovered Taylor Jenkins Reid after reading Maybe in Another Life. I fell in love with her writing style and knew I had found a new author to follow. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on One True Loves. Her writing with Maybe in Another Life was quite profound and evoked pensive thoughts. I found this also to be true while reading One True Loves.  I’ve found her books have strong heroines that are faced with tough decisions, but they grow a great deal throughout the course of her novels. The lessons they learn and the experiences they endure are often difficult, but meaningful. Her writing generally has important life lessons that people neglect to really sit and ponder, but while reading you seem to find yourself thinking like you’ve never thought before. It’s actually one of the things I love most about her books. 
One True Loves is the type of book that will gut you and leave you an emotional wreck. The writing is beautiful, the emotions palpable leaving you with no choice but to keep reading, to keep devouring all that Taylor Jenkins Reid has to offer. This was an incredible read. I laughed, I cried, I smiled, I sighed. Emma experienced an unimaginable tragedy, one that left her unsure of how she’d continue on each day, but somehow she managed, somehow she dug herself out and started to rebuild. Life seemed better, it didn’t seem as painful, as hard to continue moving forward, that is until Jesse resurfaces only complicating and confusing her about what she thought she wanted and who she thought she was. 
I read One True Loves in one sitting The author does an incredible job building the story up and she will keep you guessing. I felt as though I experienced all the pain and loss that each of these characters were faced with. I empathized with each of them and even I had a difficult time figuring out who Emma would ultimately end up with. The funny thing is you will fall in love with all of them, so much so that the who matters less in the end than the journey that led them there. Her characters are perfectly flawed, they are complex, well developed, genuine and lovable. Just a fair warning, you may need a tissue or two while reading, this one will definitely gut you, but the angst is completely worth it. And as always with a Reid book, you may also learn a thing or two about yourself. Raw, poignant and completely heartfelt, One True Loves is an definite 5 star must read perfect for contemporary romance readers and the quintessential summer read. 

 

~ Happy Reading Lovelies ~

 


ONE TRUE LOVES by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Atria/Washington Square Press Paperback | ISBN: 9781476776903 | On sale: June 7, 2016 | 352 pages | $16.00

eBook: Atria/Washington Square Press | ISBN: 9781476776910 | On sale: June 7, 2016 | 352 pages | $11.99

 

ORDER:

 

Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Books-a-Million  |  IndieBound  |  Apple  |  Blio  |  Google  |  Kobo

 

 


 

RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY:

2 COMPLETE SETS OF SIGNED TJR BOOKS
5 SIGNED COPIES OF ONE TRUE LOVES 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

NEW in Paperback: Who Do You Love by Jennifer Weiner


unnamed

62435-addtogoodreads

When Jennifer Weiner’s WHO DO YOU LOVE went on sale last year, it quickly became one of the bestselling and best-loved love stories of the year, featured in appearances on Good Morning America and CBS This Morning, and in the pages of People, Cosmopolitan, Good Housekeeping, Harper’s Bazaar, and US Weekly. Not since this #1 New York Times bestselling author’s debut, Good in Bed, was published fifteen years ago has one of her novels had such an impact on fans and critics alike.
Now in paperback, WHO DO YOU LOVE (April 5, 2016; $16.00; Washington Square Press/Atria Books) is a sweeping tale about the passage of time and the differences between people. It touches on class, race, religion, celebrity, charity, what makes us strong, what renders us vulnerable, and how the people we choose to love, and how we love them, defines who we become—how the measure of a life is who you love. It’s an unforgettable story about true love, real life, and second chances…
Rachel Blum and Andy Landis are just eight years old when they meet one night in an ER waiting room. Born with a congenital heart defect and a veteran of hospitals, Rachel’s intrigued by the boy who shows up alone with a broken arm. He tells her his name. She tells him a story. After Andy’s taken back to a doctor and Rachel’s sent back to her bed, they think they’ll never see each other again. Yet, over the next three decades, Andy and Rachel will meet again and again — linked by chance, history, and the memory of the first time they met, a night that changed both of their lives. 

WHO DO YOU LOVE is the kind of book you read in one sitting, as “readers will laugh, cry, and find themselves caught up in the story, as Weiner explores the idea: ‘Do soul mates really exist?” (AP). It is Jennifer Weiner’s most unforgettable work yet and sure to become everyone’s favorite love story this spring and summer if it isn’t already.

 

P.S. This fall, look for Jennifer’s much anticipated autobiographical essay collection, filled with incredibly moving and disarmingly funny tales of her own life and loves, as well as her first work for children, a Middle Grade adventure about friendship, furry creatures, and finding the place where you belong.

 

~ Happy Reading Lovelies ~
This book is slated for paperback release Tuesday, April 5, 2016 

 

PRE-ORDER NOW:

Amazon  |   Barnes & Noble   |   BAM!   |   IndieBound   |   Simon & Schuster  


 

9212About the Author
Jennifer Weiner is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of twelve books, including Good in BedIn Her Shoes, which was made into a major motion picture, and WHO DO YOU LOVE, published on August 11, 2015. A graduate of Princeton University, she lives with her family in Philadelphia. Visit her online at JenniferWeiner.com.

 

Twitter   |   Facebook   |   Instagram   |   Goodreads 

 

 


 

 

Book Review: Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid

9781476776880 final

MAYBE IN ANOTHER LIFE

By Taylor Jenkins Reid

 

ABOUT MAYBE IN ANOTHER LIFE:
At the age of twenty-nine, Hannah Martin still has no idea what she wants to do with her life. She has lived in six different cities and held countless meaningless jobs since graduating college, but on the heels of a disastrous breakup, she has finally returned to her hometown of Los Angeles. To celebrate her first night back, her best friend, Gabby, takes Hannah out to a bar—where she meets up with her high school boyfriend, Ethan.
It’s just past midnight when Gabby asks Hannah if she’s ready to go. Ethan quickly offers to give her a ride later if she wants to stay.
Hannah hesitates.
What happens if she leaves with Gabby?
What happens if she leaves with Ethan?
In concurrent storylines, Hannah lives out the effects of each decision. Quickly, these parallel universes develop into surprisingly different stories with far-reaching consequences for Hannah and the people around her, raising questions like: Is anything meant to be? How much in our life is determined by chance? And perhaps most compellingly: Is there such a thing as a soul mate?
Hannah believes there is. And, in both worlds, she believes she’s found him.

62435-addtogoodreads


11355_408067962_hr
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Taylor Jenkins Reid is an author and essayist from Acton, Massachusetts. She is the author of Forever, Interrupted and After I Do. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Alex, and her dog, Rabbit. You can follow her on Twitter @TJenkinsReid.
FIND TAYLOR ONLINE:
Website   |   Facebook   |   Twitter   |   Instagram

Book Review

*This was an ARC provided to me for free in exchange for an honest review. 

All thoughts and comments are my own.*

Life is long and full of an infinite number of decisions. I have to think that the small ones don’t matter, that I’ll end up where I need to end up no matter what I do. My fate will find me.”
I have to say this is easily one of the best books I’ve ever read. I was enamored with it and could not put it down. From the minute I started reading until I was so tired my eyes got blurry because I needed to know how things would end. This is an incredible book, one that will make you question fate and how our paths may not be entirely avoidable. It examines how things may happen for a reason and exactly as they should. I fell in love with the authors writing style and the uncertainty I had while reading. Either way I knew I was screwed because quite frankly I had fallen in love with the possibilities and didn’t think I’d be able to pick a side. The wonderful thing about this book is the fact that is written in concurrent storylines showing two likely possibilities for Hannah and all those around her. The concept is actually pretty brilliant and I have to give the author credit where credit is due because she nailed it.  It makes you ponder all of your own life choices and what led you to every moment of your current existence. It’s actually pretty deep because you spend a good portion of the book not on not only engrossed in a wonderful story, but also reflecting. It is not just about one romantic relationship, but the culmination of several life changing moments and how every choice leads us to where we “belong” and the people who remain through it all. Maybe in Another Life is a wonderful book by an exceptional author. I look forward to reading more of her work in the future. 5 flawless stars for this brilliantly poignant, pensive and utterly unique read. I recommend this book to all Contemporary Romance/Women’s Fiction fans. It is a MUST HAVE!

 

An infinite number of versions of ourselves are living out the consequences of every single possibility in our lives. What I’m getting at here is that I know there may be universes out there where I made different choices that led me somewhere else, led me to someone else.” 

 

MAYBE IN ANOTHER LIFE by Taylor Jenkins Reid 

Atria Books/Washington Square Press Paperback | 352 pages | ISBN:  9781476776880 | July 7, 2015 | $16.00 

eBook: Atria Books/Washington Square Press | 352 pages | ISBN: 9781476776897 | July 7, 2015 | $11.99

ORDER NOW:
Amazon   |   Barnes & Noble   |   Books-a-Million   |   IndieBound   |   Apple   |   Blio   |   Google 

&nsbp;

Book Review: Your Perfect Life

YOUR PERFECT LIFE
a novel by
Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke 

 

Your_Perfect_Life

 

Release Date June 10, 2014
PRE-ORDER NOW:

buylinkamazonbuylinkbn

 

Synopsis
With “a delicious, page-turning premise, and sweet and surprising insights” (New York Times bestselling author Jen Lancaster), Your Perfect Life (Atria Books; On-Sale June 10, 2014; $15.00) perfectly illustrates that old adage: Sometimes, you have to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes to see what’s in her heart.

Best friends since childhood, Casey and Rachel couldn’t lead more different lives. While workaholic Casey rubs elbows with celebrities daily as the host of Gossip TV and comes home nightly to an empty apartment, stay-at-home mom Rachel juggles an “oops” baby, two fiery teenagers, and a husband who barely seems the man she fell in love with two decades before. After an argument at their twentieth high school reunion, Casey and Rachel throw back shots to get the night back on track. Instead, they get a life-changing hangover.

Waking up in each other’s bodies the next morning, they must figure out how to navigate their altered realities. Rachel is forced to face the broadcasting dreams she gave up when she got pregnant in college, and Casey finally steps out of the spotlight to face the real reason why she’s alone. And they soon discover that they don’t know themselves—or their best friend—nearly as well as they thought they did.

Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke bring their “witty, winning style” (Sarah Pekkanen, author of The Best of Us) to every page of this novel that is sure to please fans of In Her Shoes and The Opposite of MeYour PerfectLife is a story of humor and heart about two best friends, what they didn’t know about each other, and how, by switching lives, each learns to appreciate her own. 

add-to-goodreads-button3

Review 

*This was an ARC provided to me for free in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and comments are my own.*

Wow. I was completely blown away with this book.  After reading a blurb, I just knew I had to read it. Sometimes in life, we become so engulfed with our routines that we often forget to live. We often forget that others may be going through their own issues, fears or waging a battle you can’t even begin to fathom, even those closest to us. We tend to focus on what’s wrong with our lives rather than what’s right. Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke take the reader on a journey that will change the way you view others as well as yourself. They reinforce the powerful adage, “the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.” This book is the perfect blend of wit, humor and insight. It will make you laugh, cry and reflect on your own life and that even you may be guilty of taking something in your life for granted.

 

Your Perfect Life tells the story of two women, Rachel and Casey, who have been friends since the 7th grade. They’ve stood by one another through every major milestone and accomplishment, yet they don’t know the innermost fears each harbor. Their twenty year high school reunion brings a few issues to the surface and Rachel and Casey get into an argument over success and lack thereof. Rachel feels like she gave up all her dreams to become a stay-at-home mom and Casey feels she’s given up on love choosing her career above all. With the help of a magical drink their bartender assists in bringing these two closer than they’ve ever been….so close, they actually switch lives and bodies, but can they get back to their old lives or will they want to once they walk a mile in the others shoes? Resentment, regret and fear cause a divide, but experiencing life through the others eyes allows them an opportunity to see all the things they’ve taken for granted. Has everything they’ve ever needed been right in front of them the entire time and will they ever be the same again? This story is wildly hilarious, heartwarming and unforgettable.

 

Five stars, two thumbs up and all ten toes 😉
This is an entertaining and insightful book and I recommend this to anyone who likes a good tearjerker. Contemporary, Women’s fiction and chick lit fans will love this book. 

 

About the Authors:
Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke have been best friends for 25 years and survived junior high, high school and college together. Liz lives in San Diego, CA with her husband and two children. Lisa, a former talk show producer, now lives in Chicago, IL with her husband, daughter and two bonus children. Your Perfect Life is their first novel. 

 

Connect with the Authors
Website   |   Twitter   |   Facebook   |   Pinterest   |   Instagram

 

 

Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke’s Appearances for YOUR PERFECT LIFE

Sat/Sun June 7-8 Printers Row Lit Fest
Chicago
Monday, June 9, 7pm ET BOOKTALKNATION
Virtual booksigning via Google Hangout
with Allison Winn
Booktalknation.com
Tuesday June 10, 7pm LAKE FOREST BOOKSTORE
Vernon Hills at Sullivan Center
A conversation with Jen Lancaster
635 Aspen Drive
Vernon Hills, IL
Wednesday, June 11, 7pm ANDERSON’S BOOKSHOP
Naperville A conversation with Tracey Garvis Graves
123 W. Jefferson
Naperville, IL
Thursday, June 12, 7pm BOOK CELLAR
Chicago 4736-38 North Lincoln Ave.
Chicago, IL
Monday, June 16, 7pm BARNES & NOBLE
Huntington Beach 7881 Edinger Ave. #110
Huntington Beach, CA
Tuesday, June 17, 7pm PAGES BOOKSTORE
Manhattan Beach 904 Manhattan Ave.
Manhattan Beach, CA
Thursday, June 19, 7:30 pm WARWICK’S BOOKSTORE
San Diego 7812 Girard Ave.
La Jolla, CA
Friday, June 20, 6pm LAGUNA BEACH BOOKS
Laguna Beach A conversation with Anita Hughes
1200 S. Coast Hwy
Laguna Beach, CA
Sunday, June 22, 2pm LAGUNA NIGUEL LIBRARY
Laguna Niguel A conversation with Anita Hughes
30341 Crown Valley Parkway
Laguna Niguel, CA

 

%d bloggers like this: