Book Review: Just Our Luck

By Sara Steven

Who needs love? Not Sybil Sweet. After years of bouncing from job to job in search of something that feels right and from man to man in search of something special, Sybil is embracing her role as the directionless, floundering member of her family. All she really wants now is a little financial stability and carb comfort. Lucky for her, she’s got just enough in the bank to buy a lottery ticket, and the late-night donut store is open.

Kiran Anderson abandoned his dreams of becoming a doctor to take over running his family’s bakery, and after two years of fighting a losing battle to save the place, he’s exhausted and broke. But when a whirlwind of a woman sweeps in late one night, flirty energy gives way to more…until she runs out the next morning, leaving behind her winning lottery ticket.

Lucky for Kiran, his attempt to return the ticket looks like a grand romantic gesture and goes viral, sending sales through the roof. In an effort to keep the store afloat and to get Sybil’s family off of her back, they agree to fake a relationship for three months. Even with hundreds of millions of dollars, finding each other might end up being the sweetest bit of luck for both of them. (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.)

Having read Technically Yours (reviewed here), I was super excited to delve into Just Our Luck and learn more about Sybil and Kiran and how they navigate having such polar opposite personalities. For Kiran, he’s a lot more grounded with what feels like a lot at stake, considering he’s taken over his father’s bakery and is trying everything he can to keep it in business. Sybil seems to go by the direction the wind blows on any given day, which has made her a liability in her own family. No one has much faith that she’ll ever get her life together. When Sybil and Kiran meet, despite not knowing each other well and being so different, they are drawn to each other in a way that makes them both throw caution to the wind!

The winning lottery ticket angle was interesting and threw in some added drama. Sybil’s family questions the authenticity in Kiran’s interest in Sybil, and Sybil wants to do what she can to help Kiran out, but he refuses the help. Maybe the way they met and what led to the winning lottery ticket is enough to gain the public’s interest, making the bakery a must-see spot, and maybe pretending to be more than they really are will help Sybil’s family buy the fake relationship they have, but ultimately, it’s what they think of each other that matters most. 

At one point, Sybil tells Kiran, “Try not to fall in love with me.” She declares that after they’ve agreed on their fake dating arrangement, and Kiran assures her that it won’t be a problem. But it becomes a problem, because he can’t help but enjoy her tornado. There were characteristics to Sybil that reminded me of Sandra Bullock’s character Sarah in the movie Forces of Nature, all wild and crazy, going against stereotypical norms and rules and doing her own thing. Kiran can’t help but be pulled into that force, even though he feels so much responsibility on himself and wants to keep everything together, for everyone. It’s a lot to put on one person.

They rub off on one another, in the best (and worst) ways, working hard to keep the outside influences on the outside so they can figure things out. I thought the way Sybil thinks and internalizes really matched her personality, and the same could be said for Kiran’s more staunch viewpoint on life. Just Our Luck was a cute, fun experience!

Thanks to Berkley for the book in exchange for an honest review.

More by Denise Williams:
Love and Other Flight Delays
Do You Take This Man
The Sweetest Connection

Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by following us.

Listen to this book on Speechify!

Book Review: The Dinner Party

By Sara Steven

To celebrate their wedding anniversary, Lily Leonard books a table at the exclusive restaurant of Hector Bolson-Woods renowned celebrity chef. It should be the perfect evening for Lily and husband, Stig, but not even a perfect menu can heal the cracks in their marriage.

So when Hector invites them to dine with him privately, Lily is thrilled. Surely this will please Stig? Hector is charming and attentive – everything Stig is not – and she finds herself more and more drawn to the enigmatic Hector.

A nightmare invitation...

After the dinner, Stig makes it clear the entire evening was a mistake, something he never wants to repeat again. Hurt and confused, Lily’s certain Stig is hiding something from her. Something linked to Hector…she just doesn’t know what.

And then another dinner invitation from Hector arrives. This time with a proposal neither Lily or Stig can refuse… (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.)

Throughout The Dinner Party, I knew something sinister was brewing. The atmosphere of the book felt dark, despite its innocent start. Who wouldn’t enjoy a dinner out to a fancy restaurant, particularly when celebrity chef Hector Bolson-Woods is personally preparing your meal for you? I pictured a Gordon Ramsey type in the role of Hector, only adding to the appeal, yet it wasn’t enough for Stig. He’s not happy. 

There are some definite issues between Lily and Stig. From Lily’s viewpoint, she married a man who keeps to himself and never really opens up to her, despite how much she pleads with him to do so. And Stig has a lot of backstory that points to a lot of deep seated baggage, and he doesn’t want to share it with Lily. When Hector gives Lily attention, it’s hard for her to resist it, and it’s more than enough to give her the courage to engage with Hector in ways she ordinarily wouldn’t. Given her feelings on Stig and his behavior, it’s hard not to initially side with her.

But then we gain more insight into why Stig is the way he is, and more importantly, who Hector really is. From one dinner invitation to the next, and all with those dark, thriller-like undertones that made me question what would happen at a given moment. The story really picks up after Stig’s point of view is thrown in for good measure, questioning his own motives, Hector’s, and Lily’s too.

After the explosive climax at the end of the book, the epilogue felt a little anticlimactic and rushed to me. But the rest of it was paced out well, and the author did an excellent job of explaining the inner workings of the food industry, which made it so easy to picture Hector as the next Gordon Ramsey. It was a good, creepy thriller! 

Thanks to Rachel's Random Resources for the book in exchange for an honest review.

Purchase The Dinner Party here.

Nina Manning studied psychology and was a restaurant-owner and private chef (including to members of the royal family). She is the founder and host of Sniffing The Pages, a book review podcast. The Daughter in Law is her debut psychological thriller and since then Nina has gone on to write 9 more books including: The Guilty Wife published in March 2020, The House Mate published in October 2020.The Bridesmaid published May 2021 and Queen Bee in January 2022. She has also written two 'mum-lit' fiction books: The 3 am shattered mums' club and the 6 pm frazzled mums' club. Her tenth book, Her Last Summer, another thriller, was published in May 2024.

In 2024 Nina signed with Hodder and Stoughton and her first destination thriller will be released in June 2025

Nina currently lives in The Highlands in Scotland with her family. When she is not writing she can be found romping in the forest with her dog and three children.

Visit Nina online:
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram

Sign up for Nina's newsletter.

Visit all the stops on Nina's blog tour:

Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by following us.

Listen to this book on Speechify!

S.M. Levine is in full bloom...plus a book giveaway

We are excited to welcome S.M. Levine to CLC today, to talk about her debut novel, Trial Run. It is the first book in the Well Space series and sounds like a great story that we look forward to checking out. S.M. has THREE ebooks available for some lucky readers!

S.M. Levine grew up with her face in a book, and now she writes steamy, emotional contemporary romance about imperfect people who find true love. She lives in the Midwest with her family and a small assortment of cats. (Bio courtesy of S.M.'s website.)

Visit S.M. at her website and on Instagram.

Synopsis:

Dr. Ben Friedman’s mental health clinic, The Well Space, has helped hundreds of patients with mental health issues live better lives. But Ben doesn’t need any help for himself. He’s got it all under control, even though he suffers from worsening panic attacks and hasn’t been to the office in a month.

Florist delivery driver Nell uses her green thumb and sheer optimism to get by, but under the surface, her roots are withering. The rent is late, her son is sick, and to top it all off, she woke up to an eviction notice. When she knocks on the wrong door and drops her flower arrangement, it’s just one more mistake to smooth over with a smile. But the grumpy, formally dressed man at the door sees right through her cheerful front.

An unexpected connection sparks between them as Nell helps Ben through a panic attack on his porch. To thank her, Ben orders flowers for every patient in his practice. Nell agrees to deliver them—but only if he comes along for the ride. A blossoming attraction in the florist delivery van leads them to try a three-week trial run for dating. Three weeks to see if Ben can step out of his comfort zone, and if Nell can overcome her painful past and nourish her long-forgotten goals. (Courtesy of Amazon.)

In one sentence, what was the road to publishing like for you?
The road to publishing was complicated, with a steep learning curve! But I’m so thrilled to be an indie author.

How is Nell similar to or different from you?
I think most authors put pieces of themselves into every main character they write, and yet those characters are different than the author. Nell is definitely a different person than I am! She’s sunshine-y and friendly, where I’m more of an introvert. But if I had to pick a quality we share, I’d say we both don’t open up and trust new people very easily.

If Trial Run were made into a movie, who would you cast in the leading roles?
Ben is the easy one here. I always pictured him as Jeff Goldblum. Not current, sixty-something Jeff Goldblum, but Jeff Goldblum in his early forties. Circa-2003 Jeff Goldblum. Nell is a little bit harder for me to cast! I think the closest celebrity to her in looks is probably plus-size model Ashley Graham. 

If your life was a TV series, which celebrity would you want to narrate it? 
Patrick Stewart

If we were to visit you right now, what are some places you would take us to see?
In my area, the Plaza in downtown Kansas City, the Nelson-Atkins museum, then out for some authentic Middle Eastern food.

What is the last book you read that you would recommend?
Asking all the hard questions! I have the hardest time picking favorite books. I recently read The House of the Red Balconies, by A.J. Demas, and I loved it. It’s a historical M/M romance set in a fantasy version of ancient Rome.

Thanks to S.M. for chatting with us and for sharing her book with our readers.

How to win: Use Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. If you have trouble using Rafflecopter on our blog, enter the giveaway here. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway ends March 25th at midnight EST.

Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by following us.

Listen to this book on Speechify!

Sara and Melissa Talk About...Grandma Hobbies

We've been running a column series to get more personal with our readers. We are now into our sixth year!

This month, we are talking about grandma hobbies, thanks to this article that inspired us. Some of these hobbies are prominently featured in the novels we enjoy reading.

We're always open to topic suggestions, so please don't hesitate to share those in the comments. We'd also love to know if you can relate to anything we've said or hear your own thoughts on the topic. So don't be shy. :) We look forward to getting to know you as much as we're letting you get to know us. You can find our previous columns here, in case you missed them. 

Sara Steven:

I enjoy crossword puzzles. It’s been my go-to stress reliever since I was a teen. If I have spare time to kill and I don't want to have idle hands (or an idle brain), I’ll whip out a puzzle from the back of magazines or sometimes from an actual puzzle book filled with crosswords, and I go to work.

I do it on planes. I do it when my husband or my kids are watching something on tv that isn’t something I want to watch, or sometimes I’ll do it just because I feel like it. 

I’d come across an article online that highlighted my crossword puzzle obsession as a “grandma” hobby, which intrigued me. What constitutes a grandma hobby? Why has it been labeled as such? And what do they do for you? 

It seems grandma hobbies are old-fashioned, nostalgic quiet hobbies, the type of interests that were more mainstream before the digital age and social media swept into our culture. Things like sewing, quilting, crocheting/knitting, baking, gardening, reading and board games and jigsaw puzzles. And crossword and word searches, respectively. Everything classic is new again, and the same can be said for interests that don’t require a modem, a plug, or a cell phone. 

Other hobbies of mine that fit in this category for me would be gardening. I love gardening. It’s interesting to me that my fifteen years in the midwest didn’t spark any joy in that hobby, but moving out to Arizona, where you’d imagine it would be tough to grow things due to the heat, has really inspired me to try my luck and succeed at it! My husband built a garden box for me at our first home in Arizona, and I was so nervous and worried that I’d be able to keep outdoor plants alive. 

Once I got into the groove of things, we made sure to build another box when we moved to our new home, and things have gone well. 

There are a lot of benefits associated with grandma hobbies, like being a means of relaxation, unwinding, and for me, helping me to break away from the connectivity of social media or electronics. Gardening and crossword puzzles have really helped with my mental health, too. Plus, it’s just plain fun. 

Melissa Amster:

I was looking at the list of grandma hobbies and what resonated with me most was baking. I know reading is also on the list, but if I wasn't doing that, we wouldn't be here right now. In any case, I've been baking ever since I was a kid. My mom and I would bake cookies and cakes together. My late maternal grandma also loved to bake and would bring over delicious cakes when I was growing up. It probably explains why I love the song "What Baking Can Do" from the musical Waitress so much.

In middle school, I took a home economics class during the summer and got all these good recipes, so I would bake them whenever I could. I especially loved this one chocolate chip muffin recipe.

When I was in high school, I'd always bake treats for speech team tournaments. I loved baking Funfetti cookies, which was a recipe using Funfetti cake mix. I would bake one big cookie and put it on a pizza sheet and then cover it in frosting. One of the guys from the team always loved this, so I baked him his own big cookie for his birthday! 

I didn't get a chance to bake often in college because I was living in a dorm, but I would do it sometimes when I got an apartment off campus. It got me started on a tradition of baking chocolate chip cookies for Oscars night, which I upheld for quite a while after college, as well. 

I will admit that a lot of the time, I take shortcuts and keep it simple, just because I've been really busy but still want a treat for dessert on Shabbat. It takes five minutes to bake brownies from a Duncan Hines mix, but they come out SO good every single time! When I do bake from scratch, I go with tried and true recipes that I love, such as s'mores pie or oatmeal cookie bars (from a recipe a friend gave me). I bake pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving every year, as well. That has been a long running tradition! This past weekend, I baked a chocolate pie for Pi day and I love how it turned out!

Pumpkin pie

S'mores pie. Messy but delicious!

One thing I always love baking is challah. It's a lot of work, but so worth it in the end! It's definitely stress relieving to knead and punch the dough. I love how it turns out and receiving compliments on it always makes my day. I put aside a loaf of challah each time to give to a friend or neighbor. I've been doing that for almost 16 years!

Whole wheat challah

I saw that gardening was on the list of hobbies and while that's something I don't have a green thumb for, my husband has been really into it and my daughter has a few plants that she's been nurturing. It's nice that they can bond over that.

What are your grandma hobbies?

Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by following us.

Book Review: Talking at Night

By Becky Gulc

‘Will and Rosie meet as teenagers. They're opposites in every way, but over secret walks home and late-night phone calls, they become closer, destined to be one another's great love story.

Until, one day, tragedy strikes, and any possibility of them being together shatters.

But that tragedy - and their history - is what will connect them forever...’ (Synopsis courtesy of Penguin UK.)

This novel has been compared to One Day (which I loved) and it definitely is deserving of that comparison, I just loved it. I was invested in both Will and Rosie as individuals immediately, and as a potential couple, also immediately, they both felt so real and their connection was instant. 

Will particularly had my heart, seen somewhat as a bit of a bad boy. He's so much more than his past if people can take the time to get to know him and if he can let himself open-up. He’s sincere, pragmatic, driven. Rosie is quite the opposite of Will on paper, an over-thinker, a good girl striving to please her family at all times, even if it doesn’t make her happy. With Will becoming friends with Rosie’s brother Josh when he starts helping him with his math’s the two become acquainted. As the title suggests they begin talking at night, starting with when Will becomes snowed in at their house, soon leading to secret walks and calls. 

As quickly as the bond develops between the pair tragedy strikes and it’s not one either of them will ever get over. This really felt like a blow. I felt Rosie’s pain in particular and the turmoil she faced. We then follow Will and Rosie’s journey over many years, how the bond remains, sometimes strong, always fractious and always at risk of the tragedy dominating any form of relationship they can have. Over the years we witness the yearning, the miscommunication, the guilt, between the pair and the desire to move on from one another. Naturally it’s very frustrating at times, I didn’t ‘get’ Rosie sometimes but then again, I still felt so deeply for what she had been through. I championed her journey as long as it made her happy.

I enjoyed the narrative, the complexity of their journeys, the complexity of emotions navigated by the pair.  I felt all the emotions when I read this book and if this sounds like something you’d enjoy, I’d definitely recommend it!

Purchase Talking at Night here.

Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by following us.

Listen to this book on Speechify!

Susan Meissner's slice of paradise

Introduction by Melissa Amster

We're pleased to have Susan Meissner back at CLC today, to celebrate the publication of her latest historical fiction novel, A Map to Paradise! I have been a fan of Susan's writing for quite some time and I enjoyed this story. I will be reviewing it soon, but you can see my initial thoughts at my Bookstagram. This interview was a lot of fun and I enjoyed Susan's answers to my questions. She mentioned a song that I used in my Bookstagram post (which you can hear on the app). We also have similar taste in TV shows, as evidenced by her answer to my last question. I hope you will enjoy getting to know her better!

Susan Meissner is the critically-acclaimed author of 27 novels for adults and two children’s books. Her engaging novels feature memorable characters facing unique and complex circumstances, often against a backdrop of historical significance. A multi-award-winning author, her books have earned starred reviews in Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and Booklist. More than a million of her books are in the hands of readers worldwide.

She was born and raised in San Diego, California, but spent some of her adult life living in Minnesota as well as in England and Germany, before returning home to southern California in 2007. Susan attended Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego.

Prior to her writing career, she was a managing editor of a weekly newspaper in southwestern Minnesota. She enjoys teaching workshops on writing, spending time with her family, reading great books and traveling. Susan now makes her home in the Pacific Northwest with her husband Bob (a retired chaplain in the Air Force Reserves) and their yellow lab, Winston. (Bio courtesy of Susan's website.)

Visit Susan online:
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram 

Synopsis:

1956, Malibu, California: Something is not right on Paradise Circle.

With her name on the Hollywood blacklist and her life on hold, starlet Melanie Cole has little choice in company. There is her next-door neighbor, Elwood, but the screenwriter’s agoraphobia allows for just short chats through open windows. He’s her sole confidante, though, as she and her housekeeper, Eva, an immigrant from war-torn Europe, rarely make conversation.

Then one early morning Melanie and Eva spot Elwood’s sister-in-law and caretaker, June, digging in his beloved rose garden. After that they don’t see Elwood at all anymore. Where could a man who never leaves the house possibly have gone?

 

As they try to find out if something has happened to him, unexpected secrets are revealed among all three women, leading to an alliance that seems the only way for any of them to hold on to what they can still call their own. But it’s a fragile pact and one little spark could send it all up in smoke… (Courtesy of Penguin Random House.)

“A beautiful journey that explores the price of choices made in the heat of the moment, the importance of second chances, and the power of finding a place to belong.” 

– Lisa Wingate, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Lost Friends

 

" A tale both tender and touching, about three complex and damaged women who despite their outward differences are all searching for that elusive thing called a home." 

– Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Briar Club

What is one thing you would tell the debut novelist version of yourself?
Don't be alarmed if it gets harder to write the book rather than easier the longer you stay with this gig. Some pursuits do get easier the more effort you put in to them, like a swimmer who can't swim a mile when they first start out trying will eventually be able to crush that mile with no trouble at all if they keep at it. But whether it’s your first book or your twentieth, you’re still going to begin with the same blank page and a whole lot of nothing after it. You're going to raise the bar every time you begin a new book which means you will expect more from yourself than you did the last time. So it only makes sense that you will find it more difficult to pull off the next novel you write. That's OK. You're not losing your groove or your edge. You’re becoming a better writer and, to quote The Mandalorian—which is a Star Wars TV series that isn’t out yet, 2004 me—this is the way.

What is something you learned from writing your previous novels that you applied to A Map to Paradise?
I do a ton of research before I begin to write and while I’m writing but I have learned over the course of writing fifteen works of historical fiction that I won’t use it all and I shouldn’t expect to use it all. Some of the facts I learn are just to give me breadth of context so that I can write the story but that doesn't mean all those details need to show up on the page. It's a balancing act to know  what historical detail to put in and what to leave out. Most readers hate an info dump; I know I do. I also know that I’m not always sure what will end up on the page as I’m researching, so I shop for it all. I fill my virtual store of knowledge with everything that seems relevant and then as I'm writing I only take  from the shelves in that virtual store what I truly need to write the  book. There will be things left off on the shelves when I am done.

If A Map to Paradise was made into a movie, what songs would be on the soundtrack?
This book is set in Malibu in 1956, so the perfect songs would be all the chart-toppers that Southern Californians were all listening to on their radios and Hi-Fi’s then. Songs like these: “Love Me Tender” and “Don’t Be Cruel” by Elvis Presley, “The Great Pretender” and “My Prayer” by The Platters, “Why Do Fools Fall in Love?” by  Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers, “Blue Suede Shoes” by Carl Perkins, and “In the Still of the Night” by The Five Satins

What is your favorite film from the era during which this novel takes place?
Three films that I LOVE that were released 1956 (and also went on to be nominated for Oscars in 1957) were The King and I (“etcetera, etcetera, etcetera!”), Oklahoma! and Giant. I’m a sucker for musicals so both The King and I and Oklahoma! are right up there, but Giant is probably tops from the era that my book is set. Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor, and James Dean are hard to beat. This was also James Dean’s final role before his tragic death. It’s the story of a wealthy Texas ranching family and what happens when an oil well transforms their cattle empire—and pretty much everything else. There is also a love triangle to keep it interesting!

If your life was a TV series, which celebrity would you want to narrate it?
What a fun question. I would say Helen Hunt. I’ve always liked her easy style and her voice is kind of like mine. I loved her in Cast Away and As Good As It Gets and the TV series Mad About You.

What is something you had a good laugh about recently?
My husband and I started streaming Resident Alien a few months ago, laughed our way through seasons one and two and started season three last night. We were crying-laughing on the couch. Our dog was actually worried for us. It’s good to laugh, though, isn’t it? It’s a hard world and sometimes a scf-fi comedy is just what you need to lighten the load.

Thanks to Susan for chatting with us and to Berkley for coordinating the interview. Enter to win a copy of A Map to Paradise by this Friday (along with three other books)! US only.

Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by following us.

Listen to this book on Speechify!

Book Review: Love and Other Paradoxes

By Allyson Bales

Cambridge University, 2005: Student Joe Greene scribbles verses in the margins of his notebook, dreaming of a future where his words will echo through the ages, all while doubting it could ever happen.

Then, the future quite literally finds him—in the form of Esi. She’s part of a time-traveling tour, a trip for people in the future to witness history’s greatest moments firsthand. The star of this tour? Joe Greene. In Esi’s era, Joe is as renowned as Shakespeare. And he’s about to meet Diana, a fellow student and aspiring actress, who will become his muse and the subject of his famous love poems.

But Esi is harboring a secret. She’s not here because she idolizes Joe—actually, she thinks his poetry is overrated. Something will happen at Cambridge this year that will wreck Esi’s life, and she’s hell-bent on changing it. When Esi goes rogue from her tour, she bumps into Joe and sends his destiny into a tailspin. To save both their futures, Esi becomes Joe’s dating coach, helping him win over Diana. But when Joe’s romantic endeavors go off-script—and worse, he starts falling for Esi instead—they both face a crucial question: Is the future set in stone, or can we pen our own fates? (Synopsis courtesy of HarperCollins.)

Meet Me in Another Life is one of my favorite books and when I found out Catriona was coming out with another book, I NEEDED to get my hands on it IMMEDIATELY.  

I am a HUGE fan of parallel universes and time travel. I love the thought that there are multiple versions of me out in the universe doing different things based on the different choices that I made and I am a firm believer in destiny, deja vu, and the butterfly effect.  Silvey writes stories that capture the essence of those very things beautifully with characters you invest in and stories that keep you hooked. In her stories anything is possible and I LOVE that!

This is a fun, unique story that you can binge in one sitting.  It’s just over 300 pages and is lighthearted and very romantic.  There are two main characters, Joe from 2005 and Esi from 2044, and the way they meet is really one of my favorite meet-cutes of all time.  Esi is on a time travel trip.  Just the thought of that was so cool to me!  There are all these strangers in the street staring at Joe and it really made me think, could this be possible in real life?  When people stare at other people in the street are they also on a time travel trip?!  I know that's a little far fetched but imagine if that were really possible?  That is what this story made me constantly think about!

I love the deep character development you get in this one and how each character grows and learns things about themselves. What I loved most is that the entire story is told from Joe’s point of view.  It’s not often in a romance story that you get the male perspective and I really enjoyed that. And the ending...I can’t WAIT for you to read it!

I am really, really hoping there is a sequel for this one! 

Thanks to William Morrow for the book in exchange for an honest review. Purchase Love and Other Paradoxes here.

Also by Catriona Silvey: Meet Me in Another Life

Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by following us.

Listen to this book on Speechify!