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A Small Fortune (Celia Hagen #1)
by
Audrey Braun (Goodreads Author)
"A polished page-turner. Braun writes with verve and confidence in this stunning debut." –Indiereader.
"Nerve-grinding suspense... Strewn with jewels of beautiful writing and apt metaphors--enough to bring on a case of writer's envy." -Jessica Morrel, author of Bullies, Bastards And Bitches: How To Write The Bad Guys Of Fiction
"A Small Fortune is scintillating, thrilling,
...moreKindle Edition
Published
(first published March 9th 2010)
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This isn't the sort of book I ordinarily read but I read it because I was going to be on a panel about genre writing with the author (Deborah Reed; "Audrey Braun" is a pen name).
I thoroughly enjoyed A Small Fortune. Sure, it's a little ridiculous at points, but the ridiculousness is clearly intentional. The fact that Deborah/Audrey pulls off this absurd adventure story while playing it completely straight is a tribute to her ability as an author. She isn't afraid to be a little silly if that's w...more
I thoroughly enjoyed A Small Fortune. Sure, it's a little ridiculous at points, but the ridiculousness is clearly intentional. The fact that Deborah/Audrey pulls off this absurd adventure story while playing it completely straight is a tribute to her ability as an author. She isn't afraid to be a little silly if that's w...more
Gilion Williams leaves her daughter, Celia, a family legacy. But at the time of Gilion’s death, Celia doesn’t pay much attention to the paperwork and the legacy goes unnoticed for years. But someone notices. And they will do anything to get their hands on it. An impromptu vacation to Mexico proves to be just the first step in an unexpected and dangerous scheme. Celia’s only hope is to figure out her tormentor’s plan and discover who she can truly trust. But she has to keep her son, Oliver, safe....more
Jul 25, 2011
Jennifer
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
thriller-suspense,
kindle-lend
This book was good as a thriller, it definitely kept me turning pages - but when I stop to think about the story, it just doesn't hold up
***minor spoilers ahead***
I found the characters really hard to swallow. Celia was annoying - she spent her entire life with her head in the sand and had no issues jumping in bed with a random guy who may or may not be involved with her kidnapping. Jonathon was a caricature of an "evil person" and the fact that Celia didn't even agonize about the fact that the...more
***minor spoilers ahead***
I found the characters really hard to swallow. Celia was annoying - she spent her entire life with her head in the sand and had no issues jumping in bed with a random guy who may or may not be involved with her kidnapping. Jonathon was a caricature of an "evil person" and the fact that Celia didn't even agonize about the fact that the...more
1 like · like · see review
view 1 comment
Celia’s husband, Jonathon suggests that she, him and their sixteen year old son, Oliver go to Mexico for a family vacation. It has been a long time since they have been on a vacation. When Ceia arrives in Mexico, it does not take her long to get into vacation mode. While out by the swimming pool, Celia meets Benico. He seems like a nice man. Celia and Benico talk until Jonathon arrives and than Benico leaves.
The next day, Celia goes for a morning jog. Afterwards, Celia goes for a swim, It is wh...more
The next day, Celia goes for a morning jog. Afterwards, Celia goes for a swim, It is wh...more
If you’re not normally a reader of thrillers, but are interested in an engaging summer read…Audrey Braun’s debut novel will be right up your alley. Unlike your typical thriller, A Small Fortune doesn’t open with a violent scene; rather, it takes its time luring readers into the mind of the protagonist, sketching the scene, layering the tension, and orienting the reader. It may have been Braun’s intention to heighten the pace gradually, steadily (which she does consistently throughout the book),...more
We’ve had our fair share of tropical vacations over the years and while some turned out less than memorable we’re quite sure the main character’s experience in A Small Fortune has us beat. And that’s definitely a good thing...
Celia Donnelly is about to undertake a much deserved beach vacation with her husband and teenage son. Between the stress of her job and less than perfect home life, she’s very much looking forward to the tropical retreat. However, almost as soon as she arrives at the resor...more
Celia Donnelly is about to undertake a much deserved beach vacation with her husband and teenage son. Between the stress of her job and less than perfect home life, she’s very much looking forward to the tropical retreat. However, almost as soon as she arrives at the resor...more
A Small Fortune, well, is a misleading title. Turns out it was a rather large fortune, but I digress. It wasn't the book I thought it'd be. It was part-thriller, part-chick-lit that worked quite well.
The book was a quick read. I thought it was going to take me longer, but it could have been because of the pacing. At first, I thought the plot was very similar to Man on Fire, but then there were these twists, which kind of took away from the story as it became something else.
The 1st person story t...more
The book was a quick read. I thought it was going to take me longer, but it could have been because of the pacing. At first, I thought the plot was very similar to Man on Fire, but then there were these twists, which kind of took away from the story as it became something else.
The 1st person story t...more
I can't wait to tell you about this book!!!
Celia Donnelly is overworked and downright exhausted, her marriage to her husband Jonathan, a bank president, has started to suffer, as has her relationship with teenage son. She is thrilled when Jonathan comes home and tells her they are taking a family vacation to Mexico. Getting out of the dreary weather of the Pacific Northwest to wonderful sunny Mexico is just what this family needs.
Celia enjoying her vacation decides to go for a run along the beac...more
Celia Donnelly is overworked and downright exhausted, her marriage to her husband Jonathan, a bank president, has started to suffer, as has her relationship with teenage son. She is thrilled when Jonathan comes home and tells her they are taking a family vacation to Mexico. Getting out of the dreary weather of the Pacific Northwest to wonderful sunny Mexico is just what this family needs.
Celia enjoying her vacation decides to go for a run along the beac...more
1 like · like · see review
I realize that the number of stars one gives a book is their own personal opinion and if your number differs from mine, that doesn't mean either of us is wrong. It just means we like different things.
So, with that in mind, I give A SMALL FORTUNE five stars. This is one of the most enjoyable suspense novels I've read. The suspense is enough that it kept me turning the pages. Add to this just a smattering of plain old good S-E-X.
Cecelia is abducted while in Mexico on a vacation with her husband an...more
So, with that in mind, I give A SMALL FORTUNE five stars. This is one of the most enjoyable suspense novels I've read. The suspense is enough that it kept me turning the pages. Add to this just a smattering of plain old good S-E-X.
Cecelia is abducted while in Mexico on a vacation with her husband an...more
This book had a great premise and could have been a terrific book except for one major fault... the love story.
(view spoiler)...more
(view spoiler)...more
This book was recommended to me by a friend that knows I am avid reader. I actually haven't read a book for fun in over two years (life happens). I sat in my yard at 1:00 on a Saturday and proceeded to get sunburned from head to toe because I read the book cover to cover in 5 hours. No food, no dinner for the kids, just straight up me time with this book. I didn't want to inhale the book the way I did. I wanted you savor every page! The writing style is so easy and relatable. I could not anticip...more
Part thriller, part romance, part marriage drama, A Small Fortune is an entertaining, quick read. Celia thinks that she's getting a break from her tired life when her husband Jonathan surprises her with a family vacation to a Mexican resort, but there's a lot more in store for her than lounging by the pool. In the midst of a kidnapping plot, Celia can trust no one as she tries first to survive and second to understand the caper of a mystery surrounding her. It's a page turner and, despite some s...more
I don’t want to give away too many details of this fast-paced thriller, because I don’t want to spoil the story for any potential readers. I will say that this was an enjoyable page turner. I don’t generally read a lot of mystery-type books, because I often find them too predictable, but that was definitely not the case with this book. It is full of drama and surprises.
Sometimes the drama is a little too high, and the storyline is a bit unbelievable, but that didn’t really take away from my enjo...more
Sometimes the drama is a little too high, and the storyline is a bit unbelievable, but that didn’t really take away from my enjo...more
I loved this story. There was nonstop action from beginning to end. While there was a teeny bit of romance in there, it was mostly mystery-thriller-action type stuff...if that makes sense. I was super pissed with the mega douche that is Celia's husband, and just the simple fact of exactly how long he had been putting his little plan into action put me over the edge. I wished for his death MANY times. I believe this may the 1st book of a series so I'll have to see what's going on with the 2nd boo...more
This was a fast paced adventure story of a Mexican vacation gone very very bad, with a feminist bent - an easy summer read. I would rate this book about 3.5 - a 3 for the slow pace in the novel's first chapters, and a 4 for the second half with the surprisingly emotional ending. I would have loved to see more character development, particularly in the beginning of the novel when the kidnapping first takes place; without that initial investment in the main character, I found Cee's subsequent acti...more
A great debut novel that kept me turning pages while sipping on a Li Hing Magarita and an interesting introduction into the fiction world of the author. I especially liked how she incorporated a family legacy passed through the generations by strong, women and how it was revealed in the last half of the book at the point when I really needed the main female character to uncover something extraordinary to contend with all her recent horrific realities. I was mostly pleased with this "small" offer...more
A Small Fortune [Kindle Edition] By Audrey Braun is so polished it is hard to believe it is a first novel. Sometimes I wanted to touch the forward button on my kindle and fly through the pages, then other times she made me want to languish and linger over each passage just as breathless as Celia. When the story was over it was as if I had finished a wonderful vacation, seen the sites, sampled the best exotic foods and road on thrilling rides. Just the what everyone dreams of doing on vacation. T...more
The book wasn't very well written and didn't keep me on the edge of my seat. The narrator is an editor of female romance novels, and this novel kind of read like one. There seemed to be a bit of a feminist edge to the book...a subplot about how she always relied on her husband to take care of everything...but that subplot was a total "miss." At times i couldn't stand the narrator because she was so helpless and went from relying on one male to another.
There was a romantic subplot with a "hot po...more
There was a romantic subplot with a "hot po...more
Really 3.5 stars.
A lot happened in this book, but not all of it made sense. It was unexpectedly funny, and I admired Celia for being able to find humor in what was a series of totally messed up situations. Celia luckily, or miraculously, met people who were kind to her when they had no reason to be, and helped her in ways that most of us wouldn't expect even of our lifelong friends. This woman was seriously lucky. I'd actually be interested in reading more about Celia, set maybe a year or two i...more
A lot happened in this book, but not all of it made sense. It was unexpectedly funny, and I admired Celia for being able to find humor in what was a series of totally messed up situations. Celia luckily, or miraculously, met people who were kind to her when they had no reason to be, and helped her in ways that most of us wouldn't expect even of our lifelong friends. This woman was seriously lucky. I'd actually be interested in reading more about Celia, set maybe a year or two i...more
I don’t usually read thrillers, but this one is by Audrey Braun (aka Deborah Reed, author of the heartbreakingly beautiful novel Carry Yourself Back to Me.) A Small Fortune made me rethink my assumptions about genre fiction, because this book has a fully developed and very rounded main character with whom I empathized greatly. Her intensely troubled and acutely loving relationship with her teenage son, for instance, rang so true and broke my heart. And the steamy sex scenes and lightning quick p...more
This book was everything all the people who had read & reviewed it before me said it would be.....an absolute page turner! The dialog and descriptions were so quick & surprising that I felt like I was watching a movie in my head as I read it. The main character, Celia, was an unlikely heroine that would do anything to protect her son & herself against a husband that turned out to be not what he seemed. Although I enjoyed the ending, it would have been fun if Braun would have finished...more
This book kept popping up as an Amazon suggestion- I ignored it and ignored it, and then saw that the author was endorsed by Amazon and coming to speak at a bookstore in Seattle. Now I am an author groupie- in fact, my husband has accused me of stalking authors in the past. Nothing scary- I just want to absorb their energy, their motivation- no tying them to the bed and forcing them to write a la Misery.
So, I couldn’t go see her when she was speaking :( but I did finally click the link to read h...more
So, I couldn’t go see her when she was speaking :( but I did finally click the link to read h...more
Jun 25, 2012
Alicia LaPalme
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
faves-4and-5-star
One of the best books I've read in a while! Kind of reminds me of the Bourne series, but with a female heroine, Celia. She starts off in the Pacific Northwest, then vacation to Puerto Vallarta where she's kidnapped. As she escapes the pieces begin of the puzzle begin to fall into place, and she discovers who exactly is behind her capture. She ends up in Switzerland for a dramatic & action-packed ending! Lots of twists and turns to make you forget that you should go to sleep... must keep read...more
Clearly, this book is not of a "genre" that I normally read....but I must say that I was halfway through a Star Trek book when I started reading this (thinking I would read them both simultaneously, as I often do) and I completely left Kirk and Spock stranded in their respective challenges while I finished this book. "Page-turner" doesn't even BEGIN to describe it. Really top-notch suspense/thriller (with just a BIT of romance thrown in there).
Slightly implausible but nevertheless a quick and fun read on a rainy November night.
If you over think this book, you can find lots of fault with the characters and the plot. But for me, any novel that takes you from the warm sunny beaches and bougainvillea filled patios of Mexico to the medieval streets of Zurich in one evening cannot be all bad. Without analyzing it too much, I enjoyed it and am now ready for her sequel.
If you over think this book, you can find lots of fault with the characters and the plot. But for me, any novel that takes you from the warm sunny beaches and bougainvillea filled patios of Mexico to the medieval streets of Zurich in one evening cannot be all bad. Without analyzing it too much, I enjoyed it and am now ready for her sequel.
This is a decent beach read. Not super realistic but they don't always have to be. The hard part for me was the flow. There was the suspense and then the legacy piece and then the love interest. I can't put my finger on it but it just didn't flow very well. I did enjoy the Swiss references since we just came back from Switzerland so the talk of the train, food, and landscape brought me back to vacation.
Some books are just poorly written, and this one was sadly one of them. The plot was interesting at first, but it was very very very far fetched. A woman is married to a guy who is a psycho who arranges to get her kidnapped. When I first started this, it caught my attention, but then, as I read it, it become more and more hokey. I would definitely recommend this to a fan who loves Patterson but it wasnt' for me.
I bought this book based only on a Kindle facebook post recommending it. It wasn't very expensive and sounded like the perfect summer read. I liked it quite a bit. Very fast paced, thriller-action sort of story, with a little bit of romance. Not especially deep, but entertaining. Celia's life begins to unravel while on what she thinks is going to be the perfect vacation, arranged by her husband. Nothing in her life is as it seems. Also, there's a nice feminist twist to the story as Celia begins...more
I think I might have found this for free for the kindle, but either way it's been on my kindle for awhile. A marriage in shambles, A woman kidnapped in Mexico, mysterious money all make for an interesting tale. It did ramble at times and occasionally read like a bad romance novel, that she edited for a living, but this is stil a good beach read even with those mistakes.
I'd probably give this 1.5 stars if I had the option. I normally only give one star to books that are too bad to finish, but I did finish this one because I had an inexplicable compulsion to find out what happened. The plot was absurd and the characters were not very sympathetic. I bought it for $2.99 for the Kindle and still don't think I got my money's worth...
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Audrey Braun is the pen name of the author Deborah Reed. She has lived all over the United States and in Europe. She now resides in the Pacific Northwest with her family of boys and dogs. A SMALL FORTUNE is her first suspense novel. Fortune's Deadly Descent is her follow-up and the second of a trilogy.
More about Audrey Braun...
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