Book Review: All the Other Mothers Hate Me

By Jami Denison

Mom lit, the subgenre of women’s fiction that deals with mothers of younger children and the issues they have with work, family, and romance, often shows women at their catty worst: cruelly ostracizing the protagonist for petty reasons, making her and her child miserable. These women are shown as awful mean girls, freezing out the heroine for no good reason. 

But sometimes these mean girls are right.

In All the Other Mothers Hate Me, Sarah Harman’s debut novel, protagonist Florence Grimes is a mess. A brief career in a girl band 11 years ago left her with rock star habits: sleeping with strangers in pub bathrooms, affairs with married men, stealing prescription pills from friends’ medicine cabinets. An occasional job delivering balloon arrangements doesn’t kick her out of bed in the morning, so her 10-year-old son Dylan is often late for school. Is it any wonder that no one wants to be friends with her?

On a field trip, Dylan’s rich obnoxious classmate Alfie disappears. The boys had fought before, and when Florence finds Alfie’s backpack in Dylan’s room, she’s terrified that Dylan is responsible for the boy’s disappearance. Now Florence will do anything to keep Dylan from being accused of the crime… including befriending another outcast mom to help her investigate Alfie’s family.

Florence (“Flo”) is one of the most unique protagonists I’ve come across in women’s fiction. Harman tells her story in a strong, confident voice, even as her tone becomes inconsistent. All the Other Mothers Hate Me starts off fast, sharp and funny, and the tone reminded me of Jesse Q. Sutanto’s debut, Dial A for Aunties. The difference is that Meddie’s accidental murder victim in Aunties absolutely deserved to die. It’s hard to root for someone who thinks that a missing 10-year-old is a “little shit,” as Flo declares in the opening pages of Mothers. 

I’m a pretty big fan of the so-called “unlikeable” protagonist, but I had serious issues with Flo. Her back story is interesting—a singer in a pop band like “Girls5Eva,” Flo got pregnant at 21 by the band’s manager, who immediately left her after Dylan’s birth to marry her bandmate. When the band reformed, Flo was left out, but she still lives her life like a party girl ten years later. The casual affairs and drug use—not to mention leaving her 10-year-old home alone at night—made it very hard for me to like Flo. If her fellow moms had known about this behavior, they probably would have called CPS on her, or whatever the British equivalent is of that. (Flo is an American living in London.)

Still, her fierce desire to do anything to keep Dylan from facing the consequences for Alfie’s disappearance (anything but find a babysitter when she sneaks out for a booty call, that is) makes her inherently empathetic. The stakes are so high in this book—one missing 10-year-old, another 10-year-old who could have killed him—that I found the humor to be inappropriate. If Flo hadn’t been a mother—if the story had centered around her desire to launch a comeback, rather than a missing child—I would have been completely sucked in. Instead, I wanted to swoop in and rescue Dylan from his neglectful mom. 

As far as the mystery goes, Harman keeps things humming along at a strong pace, with good plot points and developments. The ending works really well, although I wish she’d put a character on the canvas before the character’s absence became an important factor. 

Although I didn’t like Flo, I’m heartened by the fact that All the Other Mothers Hate Me was issued by a major publisher. Readers don’t have to like a character to connect with her. 

But it helps to have them hire a babysitter. 

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

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Rochelle B. Weinstein is a shining star...plus a book giveaway

We are thrilled to have Rochelle B. Weinstein back at CLC to celebrate the recent publication of her latest novel, We Are Made of Stars. With the return of The White Lotus, Bookbub included this novel on a list of books for fans of the show to enjoy. Melissa enjoyed Rochelle's past few novels and is excited to read We Are Made of Stars in the near future. Thanks to Get Red PR, we have TWO copies to give away!

Rochelle B. Weinstein is the USA Today and Amazon bestselling author of What You Do To Me, When We Let Go, This Is Not How It Ends, and Somebody’s Daughter. A former entertainment industry executive, she splits her time between sunny South Florida and the mountains of North Carolina.

Rochelle is a voracious reader who has shared monthly book picks on Miami's NBC-6 and is currently the book contributor for Miami's AQUA Magazine and literary salon Women Writers, Women's Books. This champion of writers also teaches publishing workshops at Nova Southeastern University's Alvin Sherman Library. Her eighth novel, We Are Made of Stars, is now available. She is already plotting out books nine and ten. (Bio adapted from Amazon.)

Visit Rochelle online:
Website * Facebook * Instagram * X

Synopsis:

At the Vis Ta Vie inn, Reneé and Jean-Paul De La Rue face the daunting decision to close their beloved home for good.

They’re not the only ones going through a season of change, though. Their guests include three couples in crisis: Hollywood celebs Leo and Penny are spending their silver anniversary together while on the cusp of divorce. Lucy, a practical-minded therapist, and Henry, an astronomer with his head in the stars, are struggling to find common ground. And former lawyer and current stay-at-home mom Sienna and charismatic sports agent Adam look perfect but are hiding rifts of their own. Thrown into the mix are self-absorbed single mother Cassidy and her sullen fifteen-year-old daughter, Rosalie.

The stage is set for a week of betrayals, regrets, and shocking truths that can rend the heart or heal it. Vis Ta Vie―live your life―captures what it means to love through the darkness, and to find the light even after the magic fades. (Courtesy of Amazon.)

“Love, loss, betrayal, and second chances, which are the hallmark of bestselling author Rochelle B. Weinstein’s repertoire, reach soaring new heights in her latest page-turner, We Are Made of Stars. Weinstein’s unforgettable ensemble not only finds light in the darkness, but also they discover that sometimes a ‘home away from home’ is where your heart is.” 

―Lisa Barr, New York Times bestselling author of The Goddess of Warsaw

“With characters so real you’ll feel like you just vacationed with them, We Are Made of Stars is at once a page-turner and a story that makes you slow down and examine your own life. Rochelle Weinstein’s latest absolutely sparkles with warmth and wisdom.” 
―Camille Pagán, bestselling author of Good for You

“We Are Made of Stars is a work of art―suspenseful, intricate, and completely redemptive. It explores the brokenness and misunderstandings between us and the healing that happens when we acknowledge our connectedness.” 
―Annabel Monaghan, bestselling author of Nora Goes Off Script

What is one thing you would tell the debut novelist version of yourself? 
Slow and steady wins the race. A career in writing is a marathon.

What was the inspiration behind We Are Made of Stars? 
We frequent an inn in Vilas, North Carolina called the Inn at Little Pond Farm. The inn owners used to offer private dinners (10 people max) in their gourmet kitchen. We'd make reservations, sometimes with a group of friends or a few of us with a mix of strangers. Chef would prepare the meal before our eyes. So much goes on at a communal table with various personalities, good food, and wine. I knew I had to write a book about the dynamics and drama.  

Are there any scenes you had to cut from We Are Made of Stars that you wish you could have kept?
Not a single one! But I wish I had added a few more scenes showcasing the area. Our guests at the Grandfather Winery or tubing down the lazy river in Todd.

If your life was a TV series, which celebrity would you want to narrate it? 
Reese Witherspoon.

If we were to visit you, what are some places you would take us to see? 

I'm in Miami, so the first stop would be to the beach. Ours are stunning. Maybe a little boat ride through the Intracoastal--we always spot dolphins--and a balcony view of the sunset. Dinner at Joe's Stone Crab.

What is the last book you read that you would recommend? 
Wally Lamb's The River is Waiting. It's a difficult subject, and I'm still haunted by it, but it's stuck with me, and that's the sign of a great book.

Thanks to Rochelle for visiting with us and to Get Red PR 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. 

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Giveaway ends March 4th at midnight EST.

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Book Review: My Son's Girlfriend

By Sara Steven

It’s almost midnight when Jennifer sees her son’s name flash up on her phone. Away at university, she’s normally so happy when he calls. But something is terribly wrong…

Jennifer is devastated for poor Ella’s family – losing their precious girl, so young. She knows her sweet son, just twenty years old, would never, ever harm anyone. But the police are looking for him. And if Dan is innocent, why has he run?

When Jennifer hears how Ella died, her blood runs cold. Because Jennifer’s best friend was murdered twenty years ago the same way. In the same place. Jennifer hasn’t been back since… but now, she has no choice.

She would do anything for her son. Any mother would. But how far will she have to go – what secrets in her own past will she have to confront – to prove Dan is innocent?

And what if the truth is worse than she ever imagined? (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.)

This is my first experience reading a book by Kerry Wilkinson, and it won’t be my last! From the get go, I felt like I was thrown right into conflict, when Jennifer receives a late night call from her son Daniel who has been away at college. From her perspective, he hasn’t been as communicative with her as he used to be in his younger years, when she felt like they were a lot more connected. There is a definite feeling that Jennifer struggles a bit with empty nest syndrome, and it doesn’t help that her marriage is on the rocks. All of this really lends into how powerful it is when Daniel makes his out of character phone call, telling her one thing: “It wasn’t me.”

She soon discovers that her son is at the center of a murder investigation, with him being the number one suspect. And he’s missing, and no one knows where he is. This propels Jennifer into dropping everything and going back to the college town she herself had been a part of decades ago, where one of her friends had been murdered in cold blood. Somehow, Daniel’s girlfriend suffered the same exact fate and in the exact same way. 

Jennifer is on a quest to discover what really happened to the girlfriend and find her son, before it’s too late. In the midst of it all are haphazard clues and risk and terror at every turn, not only to her son but to herself, as well. She doesn’t know who to trust or who to turn to. It was all portrayed in a realistic manner, with internal thoughts and feelings from Jennifer which highlighted how novice she is when it comes to investigating the truth, yet at the same time, running on pure adrenaline and a deep seeded intuition, all in an effort to bring Daniel to justice.

Given the facts, it’s hard to believe he’s innocent, and at times I wondered that myself. Considering Jennifer doesn’t have as good of a relationship with her son as she used to, it made me question if her path was worth it or not. Once the truth was revealed, especially at the end, it was eye-opening and satisfying. I thoroughly enjoyed My Son’s Girlfriend, a definite five-star experience!  

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

Purchase links:
Amazon US  * Amazon UK 

Kerry Wilkinson is from the English county of Somerset but has spent far too long living in the north. It’s there that he’s picked up possibly made-up regional words like ‘barm’ and ‘ginnel’. He pretends to know what they mean.

He’s also been busy since turning thirty: his Jessica Daniel crime series has sold more than a million copies in the UK; he has written a fantasy-adventure trilogy for young adults; a second crime series featuring private investigator Andrew Hunter and the standalone thriller, Down Among The Dead Men.

Visit Kerry online:
Website * Facebook * Instagram

Visit all of the stops on Kerry's blog tour:

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Spotlight and Giveaway: Something Like Fate

Today we are excited to feature Amy Lea's latest rom-com, Something Like Fate. It releases this coming weekend, but is currently available as a Kindle First Read for FREE on Prime (or $1.99) through this Friday. Melissa has this in her TBR and is excited to read it as she loves stories that take place in Italy. Thanks to MB Communications, we have one print copy for a lucky reader!

Is true love determined by destiny—or free will? What Lo Zhao-Jensen knows for sure is that the women in her family have the power to foresee their soulmates—except for her. Without her own psychic abilities, she’s limited to watching old rom-coms and making poor decisions in her love life. But when Lo finally has the vision she’s been hoping for, all signs indicate she’ll meet The One on her summer backpacking trip in Italy. Along for the ride is her best pal and confidant, Teller Owens. 

Upon arrival in Venice, Lo is saved from a runaway trolley by Caleb, a handsome fellow traveler who literally sweeps her off her feet. It’s a meet-cute so swoony, surely it’s fate. But as the friends travel through Italy, Lo realizes she cannot ignore her complicated feelings for Teller. Does this mean she’s turning her back on her family’s legacy, and what’s really meant to be?  

Amy Lea was inspired to write Something Like Fate by her passion for Italy’s culture, sights, history, beautiful beaches, and delicious food, and her delight is evident in this vibrant adventure along the windy, ancient roads of the Dolomites to the Amalfi Coast. When Amy is not writing, she can be found fan-girling over other romance books on Instagram, eating potato chips with reckless abandon, and snuggling with her husband and two goldendoodles in Ottawa, Canada. Visit Amy at her website and on Instagram and TikTok.

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. 

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Giveaway ends March 2nd at midnight EST.

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Book Review: The List of Suspicious Things

By Becky Gulc

This is a book that appeared on many bloggers ‘best of’ books for 2024 so without knowing what it was about I decided to get hold of a copy and delve in! 

The List of Suspicious Things is Jennie’s debut novel and is a book inspired by her childhood living in West Yorkshire in the 1970s:

‘Yorkshire, 1979

Maggie Thatcher is prime minister, drainpipe jeans are in, and Miv is convinced that her dad wants to move their family Down South.

Because of the murders.

Leaving Yorkshire and her best friend Sharon simply isn't an option, no matter the dangers lurking round their way; or the strangeness at home that started the day Miv's mum stopped talking.

Perhaps if she could solve the case of the disappearing women, they could stay after all?

So, Miv and Sharon decide to make a list: a list of all the suspicious people and things down their street. People they know. People they don't.

But their search for the truth reveals more secrets in their neighbourhood, within their families - and between each other - than they ever thought possible.

What if the real mystery Miv needs to solve is the one that lies much closer to home?’ (Synopsis courtesy of Penguin UK.)

I’m always excited to read a novel set in my home county of Yorkshire (and my little home town gets a mention 😊), so I was immediately engaged when I started reading this novel. I spent my early years in West Yorkshire and I could resonate with quite a bit of the generational differences in attitudes outlined in this novel.

As the synopsis indicates, Miv is a girl on a mission to find out who the Yorkshire Ripper is. Miv is inquisitive, naïve and desperate for her world not to change anymore than it already has lately – her mum is silent, her forthright aunt has moved in, her dad spends all his time at the pub. Miv’s best friend is everything to her and now her dad is suggesting they should move away from where all the murders are taking place. Miv sees the only solution as finding the murderer herself. She begins to question everyone in the community and starts her list of suspicious things.

This is a fantastic novel and one I’ll remember for a long time. It drew me right back to the tricky times of navigating those pre-teen/early teen years, when you don’t feel like a child but everyone treats you as such. Miv and Sharon’s friendship is the heart of this novel, it felt very real, solid but not always straightforward. Miv is the predominant viewpoint in the novel and I adored her whilst also being downright frustrated with her at times!

Supporting characters such as Omar (who runs the local shop) and Helen (local librarian) were exquisitely drawn out and developed. If I was Dorothy, Omar would be my scarecrow in this novel. The people Miv is suspicious of all have a story, a background to share, and it leads them down different paths of discovery which was enjoyable to follow. Elements were very sad and moving (loss, domestic abuse, racism and mental illness all feature), yet it never felt too heavy all at once. Whilst the murders are a catalyst for Miv’s list, they aren’t actually a feature of the story as such, just the backdrop.

A great plot, characters and location. A definite recommendation from me! 

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What's in the (e)mail

All (or most) of these books can be found on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, Apple, Kobo, etc.

NG = NetGalley

Melissa:

Sunny Side Up by Katie Sturino from Celadon (NG)

Forever and Back by Ashley Manley from Victory Editing (NG)

The Lies They Told by Ellen Marie Wiseman from Kensington (NG)

Our Last Vineyard Summer by Brooke Lea Foster from Gallery (NG)

Julie Tudor Is Not a Psychopath by Jennifer Holdich from Sourcebooks (NG)

Roommating by Meredith Schorr from Forever (NG)

The Women of Arlington Hall by Jane Healey from Lake Union (NG)

The Last Letter of Rachel Ellsworth by Barbara O'Neal (NG)

The Maid's Secret by Nita Prose from Ballantine (NG)

Everyone Is Lying to You by Jo Piazza from Dutton (NG)

We Met Like This by Kasie West from St. Martin's Press (NG)

Overdue by Stephanie Perkins from St. Martin's Press (NG)

For the Record by Emma Lord from St. Martin's Press (NG)

Sara:

The World's Greatest Detective and Her Just Okay Assistant by Liza Tully from Berkley (NG)

I Knew You Were Trouble by Sandy Barker from Rachel's Random Resources (NG)

Jami:
The Baker of Lost Memories by Shirley Russak Wachtel from Over the River PR (NG)

Melissa S:

See How They Fall by Rachel Paris from BookSparks (print)

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Book Review: Hook, Line, and Single

By Sara Steven

Ruby is happily sworn off men. There’s nothing she needs that can’t get from her friends, cat or, frankly, the wonders of modern technology. So when her flatmate tricks her into going on a singles cruise, she’s furious.

Thankfully, Ruby isn’t the only one onboard under false pretences. Cameron also had no idea what he was letting himself in for. So after Ruby and Cameron strike up conversation, they agree to platonically pair off, to protect each other from the flirtatious advances of the other guests – not to mention the matchmaking efforts of Barry, the enthusiastic host.

There’s just one problem. Cameron isn’t just in the same boat as Ruby – he’s also good looking, kind and fun. As they explore the picturesque towns of the Mediterranean, Ruby finds herself enjoying his company much more than she’d intended.

Can Ruby keep her heart safe, or will she be in too deep by the time the boat docks at its final destination? (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.)

From the get go, I knew that there was something deeper involved that made Ruby swear off men. For most of the book there isn’t much discussion about her reasons behind doing everything she can to avoid relationships until the latter part of the book, when Ruby comes face to face with a situation she can’t avoid. In that moment, I knew just how scary anything serious could be for Ruby. 

Her roommate, Sam, is the total opposite. Sam is ready for a deeper commitment and it doesn’t matter how long she’s known someone. If she feels like there is potential there, she goes for it, often at her own detriment. That only adds to Ruby’s carefulness. She’s seen how often Sam has had her heart broken, and doesn’t want to participate. 

Sam talks Ruby into going on a girl’s only cruise, but once the ladies are onboard, Ruby quickly discovers that it’s none other than a singles cruise, in an effort to bestow a unique opportunity in finding someone that could become Sam’s happily-ever-after, and could potential open up Ruby’s heart. Despite Ruby’s reserve, she finds Cameron in the same boat she’s in–a reluctant participant in the game of love. From there, plenty of golden opportunities come up for the two cynical characters, who have no intention of pairing off and prefer to be friends. 

But after spending time together, Ruby discovers how wonderful Cameron can be. And Cameron loves Ruby’s realistic approach to life. But he has no clue as to what she’s dealt with–no one does, not until the truth is finally revealed and Ruby comes clean as to why she’s chosen to be alone. It was pretty revelatory, for everyone involved. I liked the balance Ruby provided to Sam, who is continually in the clouds and often needs Ruby to ground her. There were times I felt Sam seemed to take advantage of Ruby, but Sam’s admittance of that went far within their friendship. Life is all about the choices we make, and sometimes the choices can be the toughest of all. For Ruby, trusting in someone again is the hardest thing she could ever do, and she has to decide if Cameron is worth it. Sam deals with her own struggles in finding the right person for her, and I liked the unconventional viewpoints provided for that. Overall, Hook, Line and Single was a cute experience combining the fun of a cruise with the possible drama that can ensue when you throw a bunch of singles on a cruise line. It was a fun read!

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

Purchase Links:
Amazon US * Amazon UK * Kobo

Phoebe MacLeod is the author of several popular laugh-out-loud romantic comedies. She mainly sets her books in her home county of Kent and her first new title for Boldwood will be published in November 2022. 

Visit Phoebe online:
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On the road again with Jennifer Klepper...plus a book giveaway

We're pleased to have Jennifer Klepper back at CLC today to talk about her latest novel, The Last Road Trip. Buckle up for this story of friendship in the aftermath of a tragic event. Thanks to Jennifer, we have one copy to give away!

Jennifer Klepper is the USA Today Bestselling author of Unbroken Threads and co-founder of Early Works. Born and raised in Iowa and Nebraska, she attended college in Dallas, law school in Charlottesville, and worked in Texas and Massachusetts before settling for good in Maryland. She's worked for Big Law, small law, start-ups, and Google. She lives in a forest by a river near Annapolis, Maryland.

Visit Jennifer online:
Website * Facebook * Instagram * X

Synopsis:

Twenty years after tragedy tore them apart, four sorority sisters still can't say no to sweet Mary Blake Bulloch. Reeling from a public divorce, Mary Blake rallies the group to complete a long-ago road trip cut short by scandal, betrayal, and the death of a Texas oilman's son.

Time hasn't healed all wounds. Helen's hiding a crumbling marriage. Charlie's haunted by a deathbed promise. Annesley's harboring life-changing news. And Lisa knows her decades-long silence about what really happened that fateful night could cost her everything-and everyone.

As the women pick up where they left off, old alliances shift and long-buried memories surface. What started as a reunion becomes a reckoning, forcing each woman to decide what matters more: the comfort of silence or the brutal cost of truth.

The Last Road Trip is a masterfully layered novel about the transformative power of friendship-and the bad decisions that get in the way. (Courtesy of Amazon.)

"The novel brims with relatable, deftly-drawn characters, long-buried secrets, and, above all, warmth. You don't want to miss this trip!"

—Amy Mason Doan, bestselling author of Lady Sunshine

"The Last Road Trip is exactly the kind of friendship novel I live for. Klepper layers each character with a humanity and warmth that will make readers feel like they've known these women all of their adult lives. I inhaled this book."

—Sarahlyn Bruck, author of Light of the Fire

"Friendship, secrets, lies, and one hell of a road trip! These five female friends will make you laugh, cry, and cheer as you navigate the twists and turns of their intertwined lives and relationships. This propulsive novel draws you in and doesn't let go until the last mile."

—Lisa Montanaro, author of Everything We Thought Was True

What is a favorite compliment you received on your writing? 
There's nothing quite like getting an email from a reader telling me they loved my book so much, they recommended it to a friend - and that friend fell in love with it too! As someone who regularly plays literary matchmaker myself, I know the anxiety of recommending books. Will they like it? Will they secretly think my taste is terrible? So when I hear that my book created that perfect reader-story connection not just once but twice over, it feels like pure magic.

Which of the characters in your book do you identify with the most? 
My five main characters each have a bit of me in them (or vice versa, I’m not sure how literary physics work). There's Mary Blake the people pleaser, cynical Charlie, Lisa wrestling with imposter syndrome, perfectionist Annesley, and Helen the navigator. Ironically, Mary Blake - who's least like me - was the most fun to write. She's this radiant extrovert who draws energy from crowds like a solar panel in summer. I adore her and my real-life friends who share her spirit, which made stepping into her world feel like I was Dorothy landing in Oz.

If The Last Road Trip were made into a movie, which songs would be on the soundtrack? 
The movie version of The Last Road Trip would have 1990s hits from groups like Spice Girls, NSYNC, and TLC - songs fit for belting out on the road. We’d also get “Jump Around” (House of Pain) in a party scene at a bar in Louisiana, “When I’m Gone” (Carter Family) sung off-key by Helen in Texas; and “Mountain Music” (Alabama) when the girls are having the night of their lives in, you guessed it, Alabama.

When was the last time you went on a road trip and where did you go? 
Last summer, I joined my son's cross-country drive, hopping in mid-way at Chicago. We wove through Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, and South Dakota to see various family members before he resumed his solo adventure. It was my first road trip documented by a dash cam! He’s working on a mini-documentary of his trip, and hopefully I get some editorial control over any scenes I’m in…

If your life was a TV series, which celebrity would you want to narrate it? 
Jennifer Aniston. Her GenX sensibility and comic timing would nail the mix of sarcasm and sincerity fit for a story about this Midwestern girl.

If we were to visit you, what are some places you would take us to see? 
First stop in Annapolis would be The Old Fox bookstore - it's absolutely Instagram-worthy and feels like stepping into a book lover's dream. We’d sip coffee while browsing through carefully curated used books in a cozy vintage setting. Then we'd wander through the downtown, where Colonial architecture meets charming waterfront shops. 

Thanks to Jennifer 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. 

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Giveaway ends February 25th at midnight EST.

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Sara and Melissa Talk About...How We Read

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 how we read, whether it's the format of the book, where we do our reading, any reading habits we have, etc.

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. 

Melissa Amster:

I came up with this topic when thinking about my reading habits and routines. I think a friend had asked me how I'm able to get any reading done during the week, especially with a job and kids. My kids are teenagers now, so they entertain themselves. However, I was able to get in a lot of reading even when they were little. 

After I had my second child, I learned how to multitask books. I had a couple due at the library at the same time, so I decided to read them at the same time, spending different times of day on each of them so as to not get them mixed up. This skill came in handy when I started reading ebooks shortly after CLC took off. I'd spend some parts of my day reading the ebooks and some parts reading print books. The ebooks were originally just on my Kindle for PC, so I could only read those at home. I took a print book to work to read at lunchtime. I also only read print books on Shabbat and Jewish holidays that are observed similarly to Shabbat, since we don't use electronics. I eventually got a Kindle Paperwhite (in 2015) and started changing when I read on that vs. print. Like I would use my Kindle while exercising when I used to read print during that time. (Yes, I read while on the treadmill.)

In 2016, I started listening to audiobooks on my commute to and from work, as well as during the workday if I was doing a mundane task like stuffing envelopes. (My older son thought that was the only thing I did at work.) With this new medium, I was able to read three books at a time! This went on until early 2020, with the pandemic keeping me at home most of the time. I couldn't just sit and listen and I would get more distracted with everyone else in the house. So I basically gave up audiobooks. I miss the experience of reading that way. 

As mentioned before, I read during my morning workout. I also read during breakfast and lunch. Sometimes I'll read in the evening if I need to settle my mind or if I'm really absorbed in a book. I also get in about 20 minutes each morning while my youngest is getting ready for school. And I often read a lot during Shabbat each weekend. 

I have a system for deciding which books to read next, at least in print: My five book pile (this is the latest one featured at my Bookstagram). Every time I take a book off the pile, I add another one to the bottom. Sometimes I deviate from the pile if I have a library book, something from book club, or something I really have to read right away (such as the T.J. Klune book I got a couple weeks ago). For my Kindle queue, I keep a list in email and continuously re-send it to myself. Sometimes I'll deviate from that list for blog tours or if something else comes up that I need to read right away.

In regard to where and how I read, I'm happiest on this one cozy chair in my living room. (When my daughter isn't "stealing" it from me. 😂) There's a lamp right next to it and a bookshelf on the other side. I usually have a soft blanket and some water or tea. This is usually how I read on Shabbat, since I'm at the kitchen table during the times I read at breakfast and lunch. However, I'll also read over there on weeknights when I'm in the mood. I got my husband back into reading before the pandemic started, so he's been at it for a while now. I'm glad because he doesn't complain when I'm reading on Shabbat and sometimes he'll be the one saying "one more page."

My cozy reading nook

Sara Steven:

For a very long time, the only way I’d read a book consisted of holding a “real” book in my hands. I’d heard something about this thing called an eReader, but I was a die-hard book fan. I needed to feel the paperback or hardcover in my hands, and if the pages produced that coveted paper smell, even better.

But times change, and with it, I had to compromise a little. So many of the books I review for Chick Lit Central are sent to me in an epub or mobi file. I have a Kindle reader, and I can’t imagine where I’d be without it. I take it everywhere with me. It’s small enough to fit in my purse, so if I’m sitting in a waiting room or in the car or in any situation where I have to wait for someone (or something), I can read whatever I have loaded up on my Kindle.

Where I get the bulk of my reading done is in bed–if I wake up in the middle of the night and have a tough time getting back to sleep, I read. When I’m officially up for the day, I’ll take some time to read, and I almost always get some reading done when I go to bed, too. Holding the Kindle is a lot easier for me to do in bed than balancing an actual book–I do a lot of side lying and turning pages can get a little awkward with a paperback or hardcover. 

One of my favorite places to read is outdoors, and although I don’t get to do that as often as I like to, sitting under the gazebo in my backyard is a very relaxing, enjoyable experience. It doesn’t matter if it’s on Kindle or any other form–the fresh air and sounds of the neighborhood and nature adds a nice ambiance to my reading experience.  

How do YOU read?

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Book Review: To Sicily, With Love

By Allyson Bales

Aurora York had it all together: loving parents, a steady relationship, and a promising career. But after she loses both parents unexpectedly, she can’t seem to stay on track any longer. Lonely and lost after a public meltdown that threatens her professional credibility, she’s shocked when DNA test results show a blood relative in Sicily. When her cousin reaches out online and begs her to come to Italy to meet everyone in person, Aurora makes the leap.

Aurora arrives in Sicily for a month, and there she meets a colorful, dynamic family steeped in tradition. The younger generation is fascinated by her social media fame in America, and even though her grandparents have more traditional viewpoints, Aurora begins to heal from her grief…and enjoys the attention of a kind and handsome Italian man.

But when the summer ends, a new opportunity calls her back to the States and her old habits threaten to reemerge. Will Aurora leave everything in Sicily she loves behind, or take the chance on a whole new future? (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

Jennifer Probst has a knack for taking her readers to beautiful places with characters you grow to love!

To Sicily with Love is book four in the Meet Me in Italy Series and I think it is my favorite one! All the women in these books are struggling with something hard and embark on a journey of self discovery to Italy.  In this story we get to meet Aurora.  She has just lost her mother, and her father five years before and is drowning in grief.  Aurora is a character I immediately connected with and I think you will too.  She is fierce and vulnerable, soft and hard, and looking for what we all are looking for, people to love and support her no matter what.  One lonely night she decides to do a DNA swab test to see if she has any other family out there and what she finds is so much FUN!

Probst brings us to Sicily in this story and I really, really felt like I was there with Aurora, hanging out in her beautiful apartment overlooking the marina or driving down the crazy Italian streets or having a drink with her in Bar Sciacca.  The way Probst describes her locations transports the reader right there!

Probst also crafts all the intricacies of family dynamics beautifully.  Aurora is struggling with so much heartbreak but there is so much hope in this story.  So much fun and messiness, honesty and realness.  I wanted to be a part of this story so much!

This is the perfect read to get you out of a slump and not feeling those winter blues!  I really enjoyed this one so much! 

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

More by Jennifer Probst (from Meet Me in Italy):

Our Italian Summer

The Secret Love Letters of Olivia Moretti 

A Wedding in Lake Como

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It's a fine life for Lindsay Hameroff...plus a book giveaway

Introduction by Melissa Amster

We are so excited to have Lindsay Hameroff back at CLC today to celebrate the publication of her sophomore rom-com, Never Planned on You! I loved this story and even cried from it. I will be reviewing it soon, but you can see my initial thoughts at my Bookstagram. It was also one of my top ten picks at my Bookstagram last year. When I reviewed her debut, Till There Was You, I was floored when she gave one of my casting picks a shout-out! I hope to do her current novel justice when I cast it in my upcoming review. I had fun chatting with Lindsay again and, of course, talking about Newsies: The Musical, which inspired the title for Never Planned On You. Thanks to St. Martin's Press, we have one copy for a lucky reader!

Lindsay Hameroff is a writer, humorist, and former English teacher raised in Baltimore, MD and based in Harrisburg, PA. Her writing has been featured in McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, The Belladonna, Weekly Humorist, and other outlets. She also co-edits Frazzled, a parenting humor site. She is also the author of Till There Was You, her debut novel. Visit Lindsay at her website and on Instagram.

Synopsis:

Ali Rubin has a reputation for spontaneity. Like that time she made a drunken bet in London that led to matching tattoos with a stranger. Her joie de vivre is one of her best qualities; she lives every day to the fullest and follows her dreams wherever they take her. And now, they’re taking her from her career as a chef in New York City back home to Baltimore, where she’s interning as a wedding planner.

Despite the occasional fantasy about her British tattoo twin, Ali never expected to see Graham again. So no one is more surprised than she is when he turns up in Baltimore, ordering a latte at her favorite cafe. When they reconnect during an enchanting evening together, Ali can’t help but wonder if Graham might be someone special.

At the same time, she's desperate to succeed in her new career and prove that she isn’t the family flake. When she gets a job planning a high profile wedding at a historic hotel, it seems like things are finally falling into place. That is, until Graham turns out to be the groom.

Graham’s family owns the once-grand, now struggling Black-Eyed Susan, and he’s returned to Baltimore to help his grandmother get it back on its feet. He’s certain that hosting a wedding at the hotel is just the publicity boost it needs. Ali’s boss agrees, and promises Ali a full-time gig if the affair goes off without a hitch. Unfortunately, Ali and Graham can't seem to ignore their rekindled chemistry, especially when it’s revealed that Graham and his fiancée are planning a marriage of convenience. Still, staying away from each other is the best thing they can do, since giving in to their growing feelings might cost them everything.

"A delicious Baltimore snowball of a novel about juggling family, career, love, and sassy grandmothers, Never Planned on You is the perfect romantic comedy." 

–Sara Goodman Confino, bestselling author of Behind Every Good Man

"I’m never forgiving Lindsay Hameroff because I stayed up way too late reading Never Planned On You when I absolutely could not put it down. I cackled with laughter, swooned for all the pining, and loved every minute of this delectable treat of a book (that should come with a sleep warning hazard)." 

–Ali Rosen, bestselling author of Alternate Endings

"There's no sophomore slump here...Refreshingly smart, fun, and sexy, Hameroff writes a pitch-perfect love story of fate and second chances."

–Rochelle B. Weinstein, bestselling author of What You Do To Me

What is a favorite compliment you have received on your writing?
I love it when people tell me that my writing made them laugh out loud. I was primarily a humorist before I wrote romance and the jokes and banter in my novels are my favorite things to write. I take the “com” part of rom-com seriously, so when readers are laughing, I feel like I’ve succeeded in my mission!

If you could tell the debut novelist version of yourself one thing, what would it be?
I would give myself the same advice every seasoned writer gives: don’t read your reviews! For me, this has always been easier said than done. The problem is that even the nice reviews can get in your head and mess with your process. After the debut of Till There Was You, I would read the five-star reviews only, but when I would see something like, ‘this book has such funny supporting characters’ or, ‘I love the combination of humor and grief,’ I would think, well Never Planned on You doesn’t have those things! Does this mean people won’t like it? Once you start thinking this way, you start writing what you think people want to read and that never ends well. Really, the best thing is to write what you want to read. You can’t please everyone and trying to do so takes all the joy out of writing.

If Never Planned on You were made into a movie, what songs would be on the soundtrack?
There is a soundtrack! You can access it here. 

I have a few favorites from this list. Every time I write a book, I get obsessed with a Stephen Sanchez song and play it on repeat for months while I’m drafting. For NPOY, that song was “The Pool.” I think it totally captures the way Ali and Graham felt drawn to each other, but were simultaneously afraid of what would happen if they gave into their feelings. Ali in particular was worried about ‘falling’ in love and having no one to catch her.

I didn’t put it on the list but I think “Accidentally in Love” by the Counting Crows is fitting and would be so much fun in a movie montage. And of course you need a song by The Beach Boys for Graham. I love “Don’t Worry, Baby” for the ending scene, but that could just be because I am obsessed with that scene from Never Been Kissed! 

What is your favorite line from Newsies? (I figured your favorite song is obvious. 😉 )
“Never fear: Brooklyn’s here!” I saw Newsies three times on Broadway when I was living in Brooklyn, and every time Spot Collins and his gang showed up, I’d kick my feet with glee. It’s such a satisfying moment in the plot and as a (temporary) Brooklynite, I was like, my people are here! We’ve got this! 

“I Never Planned on You” is actually not my favorite song from Newsies! I think my favorite is probably “Once and For All.” I love that  “we’re going to band together and overcome the obstacle together” moment in a musical. But my favorite Newsies song to watch is “Seize The Day.” The dancing is top-notch and I’ll never tire of watching those newsboys do their flips!

If we were to visit you, what are some places you would take us to see?
I live in Harrisburg now, but since the book is set in Baltimore, I assume you mean there! 

I wrote all of my favorite spots into Never Planned on You, so the book itself could serve as a tour guide.

First, we’d go to Goldberg’s Bagels in Pikesville for tuna salad on a toasted, whole wheat everything bagel. It is so insanely good. Or we could grab lunch downtown at The Papermoon Diner, which is trippy and eclectic and absolutely captures the artsy vibes of the city. 

Before dinner, we’d spend time walking around W. 36th Street in Hampden. It is my favorite neighborhood and we’d spend time checking out all the quirky stores. We would stop by Charlotte Elliott and The Bookstore Next Door, which is a combination used book and antique store. I went there when I was doing research for Never Planned on You and found a cookbook called Jewish Festival Cooking, which was so charming and well-loved that I wrote it right into the book. Then we’d stop for pre-dinner drinks at The Blue-Bird Cocktail Lounge, which I also picked as a first date spot for Ali and Graham!

There’s nothing but good options for dinner. Baltimore City is a microcosm of world cultures and you can get anything you want to eat: Greek, Italian, Japanese, Middle Eastern. The list goes on and on and it’s all delicious! However, getting a crab cake seems pretty essential. There are lots of good options downtown, but my family is partial to Pappas, which is in Cockeysville. 

Finally, we’d end the night with a snowball. It’s a Baltimore staple made of finely shaved ice that’s packed into a styrofoam cup and coated in syrup. Chocolate with marshmallow sauce is my favorite!

What is the last movie you saw that you would recommend?

To no one’s surprise, I was obsessed with Wicked. I saw it three times. I haven’t seen a movie in the theater multiple times since Titanic came out in 1997. Also, it’s not a movie but my husband and I just watched Severance and I am recommending it to everyone. I’m addicted to the theories board on Reddit!

Thanks to Lindsay for chatting with us and St. Martin's Press 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. 

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Giveaway ends February 23rd at midnight EST.

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Book Review: Their Double Lives

By Melissa Amster

A down-on-her-luck waitress at a posh New Jersey country club, Kim Valva couldn’t be living a more different life from the carefree socialites she serves. Her live-in boyfriend recently cheated on her, her social life is in shambles, and her dog needs a life-saving surgery that she can’t afford. Then her luck seems to change when a mysterious figure identifying themself only as The Stranger contacts her with an offer she can’t refuse: Put a pill in the new member’s drink and, when he dies, she’ll have enough money to fix her dog and her life.

Her target turns out to be Tony Fiore―Kim’s bad boy ex-boyfriend from high school. Fifteen years have passed, and he now goes by Anthony Fuller. He’s cleaned up, made tens of millions, and his gorgeous fiancée, twenty-two-year-old PJ Walsh, is on his arm.

PJ had her own agenda from the second she met Anthony. Find him, trick him, marry him, kill him. It was supposed to be easy, but she finds that while living her double life, the lines blur between who she is and who she’s pretending to be.

Stunned to see Tony again, Kim can’t bring herself to go through with spiking his drink. Instead, it is PJ who dies horrifically at the table just as dinner ends. Was someone else at the club―member or worker―tasked with poisoning PJ just as she had been instructed to do to Tony? Who would want both of them dead? With no one to trust and The Stranger to answer to, Kim must peel back the layers of deceit to reveal a deeply buried truth, more shocking than she could ever imagine… (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

Jaime Lynn Hendricks is one of my go-to psychological thriller authors, and Their Double Lives is currently my favorite of her deliciously suspenseful novels!

I was totally engaged by this cat and mouse game and couldn't put the book down. It kept me guessing as to who The Stranger could be and I was so nervous for Kim the entire time. I loved the flashbacks to PJ's story and she was just as much a sympathetic character as Kim was. I was equally nervous for her! It was really easy to visualize people and places without details taking away from the narrative. There was just a nice balance of description and plot.

There is a lot going on in this novel and I don't want to say too much so as to not spoil anything. It's definitely a page-turner and one you won't want to miss when it hits shelves in mid-May. 

Side note: There's a minor character whose name made me contact the author to tell her about a coincidence in my life. If you've known me for a long time, you'll recognize the name right away!

(Trigger warnings below.)

Movie casting suggestions:
Kim: Monica Barbaro
PJ: Gus Birney
Matt: Jordan Doww
Anthony: Christopher Abbott
Carla: Samaire Armstrong
Maddy: Nichole Sakura

Thanks to Thriller Book Lovers the Pulse for the book in exchange for an honest review.

More by Jaime Lynn Hendricks:

I Didn't Do It

Finding Tessa

It Could Be Anyone

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TW: Animal being really sick, witnessing a disturbing death, death of parents (one by murder)

Book Review: The Uninvited Guest

By Sara Steven

Megan Lewis is ready for her big day, but when an unexpected guest crashes her hen weekend, her perfectly curated world unravels.

Beth, claiming to be Jamie’s cousin, quickly charms the group. But when she gets close to bridesmaid Lauren, things take a dark turn, and a game of truth or dare exposes secrets from Megan’s past, shaking her world.

As the wedding nears, Megan realises Beth isn’t who she says she is — but she may be her only ally.

When you can’t trust anyone, not even your fiancé, who can you turn to? (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.)

The Uninvited Guest starts with fear and uncertainty, when Megan tries to figure out why someone would send her a funeral bouquet to her parent’s home. That central theme of fear and uncertainty continues on through most of the book, particularly due to constant upsets like the funeral bouquet–dead animals, hand-written scary messages, funeral wreaths, and text messages that threaten the worst, all in an effort to scare Megan off. 

She doesn’t know who to trust anymore. The friends she felt she could lean on the most become number one suspects, and the stranger who shows up unexpectedly at her hen weekend (Beth) soon becomes the most reliable safeguard during moments of upheaval and chaos. Beth claims she’s innocent and honest, but Jamie tells Megan not to trust Beth. Given Megan’s own experience with Jamie, there could be a lot of truth to Beth’s warnings. It’s enough to make the reader unsure of who to trust, let alone Megan’s trust in her allies!

I knew that something sinister was on the horizon–as each chapter passed and the threats thickened, I had a feeling everything would be revealed (and unravel) on the wedding day. Suddenly, people go missing and there are no breadcrumbs left behind to decipher what’s really going on, leaving Megan feeling lost and terrified. Who would want to hurt Megan or the people she loves most? And most importantly: Why?

I really enjoyed the psychological thriller aspect to this story. I had my suspicions on who I thought was the culprit, and while I was right, for the most part, there were still some twists and turns that made the eventual unveiling exciting and unexpected. There were a couple of inconsistencies here and there that I snagged on, but it didn’t take away from the overall experience of the book and its thriller elements. I think The Uninvited Guest was engaging and kept me locked in on trying to figure out who's out to get Megan and what would happen next, every step of the way.     

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

Purchase Links:
Amazon US * Amazon UK * Kobo

Ruby Speechley is a bestselling psychological thriller writer, whose titles include Someone Else’s Baby. Previously published by Hera, she has been a journalist and worked in PR and lives in Cheshire.

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