Wednesday, January 22, 2014

A Hilarious Love Story: A Talent for Trouble by Jen Turano




Name of the Book : A Talent For Trouble
Name of the Author: Jen Turano
Publisher: Bethany House

Blurb

Miss Felicia Murdock firmly believed her destiny was to become a minister's wife. When the minister on whom she had set her sights marries another lady, Felicia is forced to take a close look at her life and comes to a few uncomfortable conclusions. Determined that something needs to change--and soon--Felicia discovers she is finally ready to spread her wings and embrace life the way she's always wanted.

Grayson Sumner--or Lord Sefton, as he's officially known--has had more than enough of spreading his wings and only hopes to settle into the life of a normal, respectable New York gentleman. Prompted by some well-meaning friends to lift the spirits of the disappointed-in-love Miss Murdock, he is surprised to encounter a young lady who seems to have become quite adventurous and quite determined to get herself into all sorts of troublesome situations.

Intent on remaining independent, Felicia is reluctant to accept Grayson's help, especially as she finds herself developing feelings for him. However, just as Grayson decides he's had quite enough of her antics, his past comes back to haunt him and his presence in her life has endangered Felicia. Will Grayson and Felicia decide they want to spend the rest of their lives keeping one another out of trouble?


Buy @
Amazon | Barnes & NobleKobo | Sony


The Reveiw


Miss Felicia Murdock wanted to marry the minister. But he had other plans and marries someone else. This brings Felicia’s world crashing down. Not in a sorrowful way. Oh, she does pine for the thought of the love she had lost or rather the way of life, she claimed she was suited for, was gone. But for all who knew her whispered one thing- if Felicia was unsuitable for something, then it was for being a minister’s wife. She was too high spirited to have a demure life.

When Grayson Summer meets her, he is all ready to lift the spirits of the dejected lady. What he had not expected was to encounter a lady whose spirit needed taming down! Here starts a hilarious encounters between Grayson and Felicia.

Dear Jen, the way you have portrayed her singing abilities, I had stitches on my side. Don’t do this to your readers J It was too funny. But then I should thank you, for I had a smile on my face for many days.

Grayson had never met  a lady like Felicia. One who would walk straight inside a bar to entertain men with her singing..( I am still laughing) or would search for an adventure in an opium den or who would have the guts to enter a fight without even thinking about it but scream terrified of rodents in the alley. A pure, simple, heartwarming character.

Grayson, being the lord too had a tainted past. He is really a delightful character. His past makes him a relatable character. And of course it was no ordinary flaw. A great risqué, I would say, to have tainted the male protagonist with such a past. A bold move.


Rating 



Reasoning

The ending was a bit long drawn or was it my thoughts which hated being shifted from the love story even for some time? But when the climax of the story came.. (and there was a notch up in the octave) I hated to shift my focus away from Felicia and Grayson- even if it was only for a few pages. It is not my fault that Jen has created such wonderful characters, is it?

Meet The Author


Jen Turano, acclaimed author of A Change of Fortune, A Most Peculiar Circumstance, and A Talent for Trouble, is a graduate of the University of Akron with a degree in Clothing and Textiles. Her fourth book in the Ladies of Distinction Series, A Match of Wits, will release from Bethany House in July, 2014. She is a member of ACFW and makes her home outside of Denver, Colorado with her husband and teenage son. 

Hi Jen,

Welcome to The Book Club.

1)         I just finished reading your book. Felicia is a wonderful character. Tell me how she was visualized by you at her inception?

Felicia’s character began developing the moment she showed up in A Change of Fortune – she was dressed in an outlandish gown and the question that suddenly started bothering me was why…what would cause a lady born into a well-established society family to dress in a manner that wasn’t fashionable?  Felicia and all of her quirky ways took off from there.

2)         You have balanced both your protagonists with respect to their fiery nature and wittiness. But I do have a question on that. Felicia walks up to a pub, an opium den - given the time this novel is set in, isn't that a bit bold?

Part of Felicia’s charm is that she manages to land herself if troubling situations without really understanding how she got there.  In regard to the pub, she ends up there all due to the fact she was helping an elderly gentleman who’d fallen on the sidewalk.  She obviously knows that it’s hardly the place to be, but since she’s drawn to people from all walks of life, she just can’t seem to help herself from mingling with the patrons of the pub, even though doing so puts her smack dab in the middle of mayhem.

3)         Would you call yourself a spontaneous writer or detailed writer? How much planning would you put in a manuscript in the initial stage?

I’m not a huge plotter, but I always know where the story starts and how the story is going to end.  The ideas for a story normally hit me when I’m cleaning the house.  There I’ll be, scrubbing the shower and…a character waltzes through my thoughts.  Since I’m not a woman who can just stop a task to write, that would drive me crazy, I carry post-it notes around the house, even have them attached to the vacuum.  When I get these ideas, I scribble them down and after I’m done cleaning, put them in order.    From that point, I usually do an outline for three to five chapters, but those outlines normally go by the wayside once I begin writing.  Characters seem to take on a life of their own and sometimes they insist on turning into someone I never even considered – which can be somewhat amusing, but does demand quite a bit of rewriting.

4)         How did Jen Turano become a writer?

I never really had any thoughts about becoming a writer growing up.  My family was always very business/science oriented – one of my brothers is a surgeon, two others are engineers and my sister is a CPA accountant and an attorney.  We really weren’t steered toward the arts, and, quite honestly, I do believe my parents were appalled when I decided to major in fashion – but, since I wanted to become a buyer, they were appeased by the idea that at least that was finance, in an odd sort of way.  After the department store I work at went out of business, I decided to hang up my heels and become a stay-at-home mom.  When my son was in the third grade, we were struggling through this series about this bird – we were on book six and he’d read a chapter out loud, I’d read a chapter out loud, and by the end of that book, I was just about to lose my mind.  It wasn’t that interesting, the writing was just okay, and I have yet to admit to my son that they’re seven more books in that series.  But, when we read The End, my son mentioned that he thought the stories I made up to entertain him in his jogger stroller so I could get some exercise in were more interesting – so…we decided to write our own story.  It was horrible, but he enjoyed it, and I really did like using my brain again.  After numerous genres, I finally settled on romance, something I read all the time, and I’ve been writing ever since. 

5)         What made you taint Grayson's character a bit? Not that I am complaining :) But aren't our heroes supposed to be perfect?

I don’t like perfect heroes.  I enjoy men who are a bit sulky, grumpy, and even downright rude upon occasion.  By tainting a hero’s character, it lets me allow them to grow, and it’s always so fabulous to watch them change when they come into contact with a good woman. 

6)         Do you have a new book coming up? Any chance for a sneak peak for The Book Club?

My fourth and final book in The Ladies of Distinction Series, A Match of Wits, is coming out in July, 2014.  It’s Miss Agatha Watson’s story, and I do believe Mr. Zayne Beckett might show up.  He’s a mess and Agatha, being Agatha, takes it upon herself to bring him back up to snuff.  After that, I have a new series that will begin releasing in 2015.  It’s a little different.  The heroines are not wealthy, society ladies, but work for a living.  The first book, currently untitled, revolves around Miss Harriet Peabody.  She works in a hat shop and when she forms an unlikely alliance with Mr. Oliver Addleshaw, one of the wealthiest gentlemen in the country, well, her life takes a turn for the unusual. 

7)         Have you ever experienced writer's block? How do you cope with it if yes.

I wouldn’t say I’ve ever had writer’s block – but writer’s avoidance – yep, that happens every so often.  It’s normally when I’ve written a few chapters that I know aren’t working, but I’m stubborn and I’ll keep changing them – until I finally just walk away from my computer for a day.  Then, wincing ever so slightly, I delete every word of those chapters and start again and then I’m fine. 

8)         Amongst the contemporary writers whom would you say - 'Yes I am impressed with your work."

I would highly recommend anything by Lisa Wingate.  She’s an amazing author and her latest book, The Prayer Box, is well worth the read. 

9)         Any advice for the new writers?

It’s a tough business to break into, but you just need to keep writing.  Finish your manuscript, send out query letters, and then…start something new – but not that second book in the series – you don’t want to do that until you sell the first book.  I’ve seen far too many writers write an entire series before they even attempt to sell the first book and then that book doesn’t sell – It’s a rare day when an editor buys a second book in a series without the first. 


You can Stalk her @

               



Thursday, November 14, 2013

Love's Labor by Andy Paula


Name of the book: Love’s Labor
Name of the Author: Andy Paula
ISBN 0991960017 (ISBN13: 9780991960019)
Disclaimer: I got a copy of this novella via The Tales Pensieve in exchange of my honest review.


Blurb from Goodreads....
 Piali Roy has run away from home and the two stubborn men who love her. One is her beloved Baba; a rigid traditionalist, he refuses to accept anyone from outside her caste and community. And then there is Sathya, the unsuitable outsider. He loves her truly, madly, deeply and has even called off his marriage for her sake. Neither man will budge, and the small   town of Jampot, where everyone knows everything, is not big  enough for the two of them. Away from their unreasonable demands, Piali strives to find peace in the mountains. But within six months, her lover tracks her down. Once again, she betrays the one by trusting the other. Will her labor in the name of love be in vain, or will love transcend all differences?




The Review

The most impressive thing about this novella is its simplicity. The story of a simple, Bengali school teacher falling in love with the chairman’s son. As with the other stories of Indireads, I found that this simple tale too has a moral behind it. It is not about just sex or love. It is about values and respect.

When Piali falls in love with Sathya they find many hurdles in their path. Piali is from a staunch Bengali family and Sathya is from a Malayali family. The former is a simple, middle class family while the other belongs to the elite society.


And to top it up, Sathya was engaged to the Principal's daughter. But despite all the obstructions in their love affair, they still fell in love. But what proved to be the strongest opposition in their path is Mr. Roy, Piali’s father. It was something he believed in and his staunchness was deep rooted which even his love for his daughter could not reject. So how would the two star crossed lovers meet? Will they elope or is it the end of their love affair? As I have told you earlier, it is the morality and the purity of the story that attracted me most. This story might restore your faith in true love, where the guy would go to any length to get his girl even to the extent of ..........[find out:)]

Rating… 



Reasoning…

Both Piali and Sathya’s characters are beautifully portrayed. Piali as a teacher is very likable and Sathya as the Chairman’s son, who is supposed to take up the reins from his parents, has a very dashing personality. I also liked the way Andy Paula has chosen the hard way for the lovers, making their love more pure and relatable. [I can hear many clicking of tongues and I am sure some of you might throw a stone or two. Bring it on!!!] My argument would be in India it is still a marriage between two families, so pleasing everyone is a bit tough  J

The shortness of the story was a bit disappointing. [And this is meant as a compliment!!].  There were some social issues raised in this novella which caught my eye. It had nothing to do with the story, but a comment regarding the teacher’s profession. To quote…..

She’d  seen  enough  of  life  to   know that most who came for interviews were teachers by chance. They opted to teach when they could not find their dream jobs or if they had time to kill. But this girl was a teacher by choice.”

A bit of a generalization, but it cannot be argued that many housewives in India who have free time, become teachers. And the end result can affect our future generation, if properly trained teachers are not recruited.

Another issue which holds dear to my heart, is the questions raised regarding intercaste marriages.Being a Bengali married to a Tamilian myself, I know the difficulties such alliances face before the knot is tied. Why are such marriages still questioned in modern India? Will a day ever come when we Indians seek out a groom or a bride for our kids based on the persons merits and not on the basis of his stars and language or religion?

Would I recommend this book to my readers… Definitely. How can I not? Such a short novella and packed with so many social issues.You will want to finish this novella at one go. I can guarantee you that. Happy reading!!!


Buy it @


About the Author


Andy Paula is a corporate trainer by profession and a writer by vocation. After the innumerable essays, poems, articles, editorials, congratulations & condolence letters she wrote for herself and others refused to satiate her writer's Self, she finally put herself seriously to the task and wrote Love's Labor,a romance novella that is now on Goodreads. 

To know more about the versatile author click here.

You can stalk her @

               



Tuesday, November 12, 2013

A Hint of Scandal (The Sensational Stanton Sisters #1) by Tara Pammi





Name of the book:              A hint of scandal
Name of the author:            Tara Pammi
Publisher:                             Harlequin Presents
ASIN:                                    B00CFX3AOI




Review…

Olivia  Stanton is getting married. Then why wasn't she happy as a new bride should be? Olivia Stanton is not the person who should be wearing the bridal gown on the wedding day, but it should have been her twin sister Kimberly. But Kimberly is missing from her own wedding and Olivia had to step in the shoes of Kimberly to marry Alexander. The only problem was Alexander doesn't know about this.

Bride switching doesn't go down well with Alexander, specially when his feelings for Olivia is nothing but contempt. But due to certain circumstances he has to accept Olivia as his wife till he doesn't find a way to come out of this situation. 

Olivia on the other hand is only concerend about her sister, Kimberly, for she felt that she owed it to Kimberly for all the times she has been there for her. But what they had not thought of or taken into consideration was the fact that they would be attracted to each other. Olivia always felt that she had goofed up in the past and Alexander does not have a great opinion about her. In fact, he was of the opinion that if he had married the other twin, Kimberly, he would have told her to stay away from the selfish Olivia.

But he finds her earthy sexiness so bewitching. But Alexander is a man haunted by a past and that past had taught him not to love in the future. So, would they both able to overcome their past and start their future with  a clean slate.

Rating...


Reasoning...

The story was a delightful read. The characters are strong, the storyline was neat, and the lovemaking scenes were hot without being sleazy. The sense of humor and the bantering between the two main protagonists was just right. Sometimes you would get angry at the pigheadedness of Alexander, but why he was like that has also been justified.

What I liked most about this book was the quirkiness of the characters. While Olivia has been always prone to do wrong, Alexander's possessiveness towards his family members was equally heart touching.

The only question that was left hanging in this book was why did Kimberly runaway. Though it was explained, but the explanation was more to pique your curiosity than satisfy it. Clear indication that it is a must to read the next in series of The Stanton sisters.

Buy the book from

About the Author...

Tara Pammi can't remember a moment when she wasn't lost in a book, especially a romance which, for a teenager, was much more exciting than mathematics textbook. Before long, she was hiding romance novels within bigger textbooks, smuggling them into the home through her unsuspecting younger cousin’s school bag, and cycling more than a few miles to her favorite library to borrow more. 

Through numerous ‘true’ loves :-) and traveling thousands of miles from family and friends, her attachment to books and especially romance novels stayed constant.

 One fine day, toiling away as a grad student in a basement lab, Tara started typing the beginning of a story instead of her thesis. But it wasn’t until years later, encouraged by her real life hero, Tara realized what she truly wanted to do was to write.

Tara lives in Texas with her real life hero and her two little girls. When she isn't writing or reading, Tara can be found failing in the kitchen, watching TV or making resolutions to exercise more, or even a little

Stalk her @
                           



Sunday, October 27, 2013

An Incurable Insanity by Simi K. Rao



Name of the Book: An Incurable Insanity

Name of the Author: Simi K. Rao

Name of the Publisher: Tate Publishing

ISBN-10: 1627465928

ISBN-13: 978-1627465922

Disclaimer: I recieved a ecopy of this novel from The Tales Pensieve  in exchange for  my honest review.

A Sneak Peek...

"Here... lunch." She pushed a box towards him.

"I don't want it."

"Why?"

"I feel awkward."

"But you never felt that way before, so why now?" You took me for granted. She stared reproachfully at him.

"It's different now." My perspective has changed. I behaved like a slave master, it's humiliating. He stared right back.

She pretended to appear disinterested, "you can eat it, give it to your friends or throw it away. This is all I can do to pay you back right now."

"You don't have to worry about paying me back. It's the least that I can do to make up for what I've put you through."

Her chair knocked sharply against the wall, as she jumped to her feet. "What? You think that's compensation enough? Nothing you do will give me back what I've lost! Yes, I agreed to marry you because I was blind and innocent! But who gave you the right to destroy my life, especially since you were having an affair and there was no hope for us? You treated me as if I was a disposable object! Why? Tell me why?"

"Yes I know I'm the worst kind of cad! But my hands were tied! My grandfather was on his death bed, I had no choice!" He snapped back gripping the counter till his knuckles turned white.

Walking up to him, she said softly, "Yes you had  a choice. You could have walked away. You could have been a man."

Buy the book @


The Review...

Ruhi Sharma is a blushing bride, with dreams to have a loving husband and a family. A dream which most of the brides are supposed to dream. But what does a lady do when she is told by her new husband that he is in love with someone else and would prefer to have this marriage annulled?

After her dreams are shattered, she requests Shaan to let her tag along with Los Angeles till she is not ready to tell her parents. Against Shaan’s better judgment, he takes her along thinking that all would be solved according to his own wish. Now that was damn selfish of him, wouldn’t you say?

Ruhi is also of the same opinion and after a stint at playing the docile housewife, she decides she had had enough. Off came the traditional saris and churidaars and her new avatar dazzled Shaan off his senses.

Moreover his girlfriend , who was very much married to Shaan’s superior at the Aeronautics and Space Engineering,was keeping him more as a candy man rather the the true love he believed it to be. With is girlfriend gone, he could now focus more on his wife. To his surprise, [???] he felt very much attracted to her. 

Fate introduced small instances in their life which brought them closer but they both tried to stick to their original deal of “being friends without benefits.”  But then when she did not arrive on time at night, Shaan would be terrified that something is wrong with her. He suddenly became from a detached husband to a nail biting lover. Waiting for if she was late in returning home, rushing back from office just to spend time with her, dinners and walks and most of all the hidden soldering passion which he did not understand himself.

Both knew they loved each other. But Ruhi was too badly hurt emotionally to initiate the discussion and Shaan felt Ruhi would reject him because of his past behavior. And not to forget the looming presence of Shaan’s girlfriend, which was proving to be a bigger thorn then they had anticipated. Would they be able to overcome their differences and have a marriage based on love and mutual respect or would the girlfriend’s presence prove to be too much for Ruhi to handle? Or what the girlfriend say about Shaan not being able to affort a divorce for his career be the cause of divorce between them

What I liked….

This story has all the ingredients to find its way to a readers shelf. The right kind of tension has been created from the beginning. While you sympathise with Ruhi, Shaan too keeps up his end of touching a reader’s heart. Each character was needed in the plot, each doing their role in pushing the protaganists towards each other. 

The Indian setting was drawn up beautifully with marriage ceremonies, Jagjit Singh songs and the love of the author for poetry was evident it this story. Not a a bad touch. Unique yes. And may take some of the readers getting used to it. But it does not affect the overall story.

Another thing I felt I ought to mention is that while Ruhi started out as the timid kind of girl, marrying according to parent’s wishes and still wanting to accept a husband whose heart belongs to someone else, thankfully she does not continue like that and develops a spunk of her own as the story progresses. [though at times a bit too much] but nevertheless, this kind of damsel in distress where a girl takes all the crap from a guy is something I abhor and thankfully Ruhi manages to shift to her fiery self just at the right point in the story.

Rating…


Reasoning…..

The story follows a straight line where the boy and the girl marry and work through the difficulties of their marriage. But while reading the story everytime I had to stop to read the explaination of the hindi dialogues kept within the brackets. That somehow caused a few hurdles in the reading of the story.

Ruhi’s fiery self was bordered on obstinancy. While at one point the readers would sympathise with Ruhi, but at times I found her obstinate behavior a tad irritating. Unless, that is what the author had wanted to achieve. 

There is two more things which got me thinking about this story.

1. Did Ruhi and Shaan did not meet before marriage and where he could have told her about his affair? Agreed in India we have arranged marriage system but the boy and the girl does meet before the decision time, right?

2. The character of Sanjana. She is a part of domestic violence without blaming the husband. Ruhi witnesses that and realizes the Shaan is a good husband. That is the measuring factor of a good husband?
I am sorry but though I am not a part of a feminist movement, I felt a tad strongly about this point. But… [yes there is a big but…]

Some of the views that have been brought forward in this story can be related to many of the woman settlers in the USA. For example, Ruhi not having enough money of her own and Shaan initially not thinking about it also. But again if she was a MBA graduate from India, why did she have to work in a provision store. Assuming she had the right to work in USA [ and if she didn’t she couldn’t work in a provision store also unless illegally] she could have worked in any of the companies in the US. It is just that when a reader wants be like Ruhi, these questions would come up. And if all these points are added up the Shaan definitely comes out as the stronger character.  

Would I recommend this to my readers.. definitely. The small instances when they eat Maggie together or clean the baby poop together makes it worth while. Where did the baby come from….? Not telling ….:) Find out for yourself…….


Meet the Author.....


Simi K. Rao was born in India and has been living in the United States for several years. Her contemporary romance novel An Incurable Insanity, published by Tate Publishing, will be released on October 8, 2013. An Incurable Insanity is her first foray into writing. The inspiration for the story came from what she has seen transpire among and within the immigrant community. Some of the experiences included are her own; some have been garnered from friends and casual conversations with acquaintances. She also writes poetry, is an avid photographer, loves to travel, and is a practicing physician. She currently lives in Denver with her family.

Watch out for her interview at The Tales Pensieve....... Coming Soon!!!!

You can Stalk her @

                           





Saturday, October 26, 2013

A Bluestocking Christmas By Monica Burns




A Bluestocking Christmas (Novella)

By Monica Burns

Disclaimer: I got the ARC copy from the Author via The Enchantress of Book Blog Tours.

Blurb: 


Sinful words, wicked pleasures and a ghost all add up to A Bluestocking Christmas with a Dickens of a twist.



As a young man, Simon, Viscount Wycombe learned the painful truth that a tradesman’s daughter is suitable only for liaisons and nothing more. But Ivy Beecham is a far cry from his preconceived notions, and he’s determined to have her. But when she rejects him, it only increases his determination to seduce her into a world of sin and pleasure.



Ivy Beecham knows first-hand that handsome aristocrats like Simon can’t be trusted. But the intellectual scoundrel is hellbent on making her his mistress, using every means at his seductive disposal. When she refuses to give away her heart on Christmas Eve, a ghostly specter shows her in one night why her surrender can be the greatest gift of all.





Available for purchase at 

               

The Review

To be honest, I am in a bit of a yo-yo position regarding this book. If I take just the story line and follow Miss. Ivy Beecham and her love for Simon, I would be truely impressed. A love story with a moral. Any time works for me. 

Ivy had a difficult childhood with her aunt and uncle, after the death of her parents. She was looked down upon just because her father was not from the nobility but was a tradesman. If she had any moments of love and understanding, it was from her cousin Caroline. So, when it was Caroline who betrayed her and took away her first love, she could not bear it nor forgive Caroline. Now fate had changed their destiny and Caroline was the destitute with three kids and Ivy was the heiress. But Ivy found it hard to forgive and in the process jeopardised her relation with her own true love, Simon. 

Now enters the Christmas spirit of forgiveness in the form of a ghost who takes Ivy through her life making her realise what she has and what she might lose. Beautiful isn't it?

But for all the romance lovers out there, there is nothing angelic about this book. It is HOT. The love scenes studded in this book makes it rather a erotic historical Romance. Simon knows he wants Ivy, though he has reservation about the common class, stemmed from losing his girlfriend to his father. [OUCH!!!!] So when his nephew told him that he had made acquaintance with a certain lady from the common class, Simon was out to protect him, only to fall in love with her. He found that she was not only attractive but very well read and could match him in prose or  poetry from the lines for Wilde or Eliot. [Here I would like to add that the way Monica Burns had used quotations is commendable and shows are aptitude for reading]
Rating....


Reasoning....

I loved the story line and even if it is an erotic fiction, each page turner almost having a love scene is a bit too much. [ again can be a selling factor].

Another problem I had was the abruptness of Caroline's story. I am sure many would argue that she is not a part of this story but there are many questions left hanging with reference to her [unlesss there is a prequel which I am not aware of]. Moreove with regard to her, Ivy came out to be very stubborn and instead of sympathising with her, you tend to get angry at her. But Simon makes up for all her faults.

Would I recommend... Definitely. But for Chirstmas? Depends... what kind of Christmas you are planning to have :) [I really should search for a smiley with a wink]



About the Author


A bestselling author of spicy historical and paranormal romance, Monica Burns penned her first short romance story at the age of nine when she selected the pseudonym she uses today. Her historical book awards include the 2011 RT BookReviews Reviewers Choice Award and the 2012 Gayle Wilson Heart of Excellence Award for Pleasure Me. She is also the recipient of the prestigious paranormal romance award, the 2011 PRISM Best of the Best award for Assassin’s Heart. From the days when she hid her stories from her sisters to her first completed full-length manuscript, she always believed in her dream despite rejections and setbacks. A workaholic wife and mother, Monica believes it’s possible for the good guy to win if they work hard enough.


You can find Monica here: 

            

A giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway