Susan Coventry's Blog, page 34
November 10, 2016
Can’t Help Falling In Love by Bella Andre
Can't Help Falling In Love - Book 3 in The Sullivans Series.
Can't Help Falling In Love is the third book in the popular contemporary romance series, The Sullivans. In this story, Gabe Sullivan, is a firefighter who rescues Megan (a widow) and her daughter, Summer, from their burning apartment building. Megan and Summer make it out unharmed thanks to Gabe, but when they visit him afterwards to express their gratitude, Gabe is cool and distant. He doesn't want to be seen as a "hero," and avoids getting involved with the people that he rescues. Summer is persistent though, and when Megan discovers that her good friend from college is Gabe's sister, they are thrust back together again. Despite his reluctance to get involved, Megan and Gabe's relationship heats up (pun intended) and as the title suggests, they fall in love. I have read several books from The Sullivans series, and have enjoyed most of them. If you like sweet and sexy romance novels, with a strong element of family, you might like Can't Help Falling in Love, or other books from this extensive series.
Can't Help Falling In Love is the third book in the popular contemporary romance series, The Sullivans. In this story, Gabe Sullivan, is a firefighter who rescues Megan (a widow) and her daughter, Summer, from their burning apartment building. Megan and Summer make it out unharmed thanks to Gabe, but when they visit him afterwards to express their gratitude, Gabe is cool and distant. He doesn't want to be seen as a "hero," and avoids getting involved with the people that he rescues. Summer is persistent though, and when Megan discovers that her good friend from college is Gabe's sister, they are thrust back together again. Despite his reluctance to get involved, Megan and Gabe's relationship heats up (pun intended) and as the title suggests, they fall in love. I have read several books from The Sullivans series, and have enjoyed most of them. If you like sweet and sexy romance novels, with a strong element of family, you might like Can't Help Falling in Love, or other books from this extensive series.
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Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty
Truly Madly Guilty - How one event changes everything.
Truly Madly Guilty is a realistic fiction novel by the author of The Husband's Secret. This is the tale of Clementine and Erika, friends since their school days, and how one terrifying event changes their friendship and their lives. The day starts out innocently enough, when Erika's neighbors, Vid and Tiffany, invite Erika, Clementine, their husbands and children over for a backyard barbecue. As the afternoon progresses, the adults get carried away drinking and laughing, and lose track of the children. When a scream breaks out, Erika is the first one on the scene. After the incident, Clementine's marriage suffers, and Erika, who has been undergoing IVF, questions whether or not to continue the process. Vid and Tiffany also suffer the repercussions of the horrible event that occurred in their own backyard. I have read all but one of Liane Moriarty's books, and so far, this is my least favorite. The concept was fine, but the tension that she's usually so good at portraying, was missing. I didn't find any of the characters particularly likable, so I had a hard time empathizing with them. Since I wasn't emotionally invested, the story fell flat for me. If you haven't read anything by Moriarty, I would recommend The Husband's Secret or Big Little Lies over this one.
Truly Madly Guilty is a realistic fiction novel by the author of The Husband's Secret. This is the tale of Clementine and Erika, friends since their school days, and how one terrifying event changes their friendship and their lives. The day starts out innocently enough, when Erika's neighbors, Vid and Tiffany, invite Erika, Clementine, their husbands and children over for a backyard barbecue. As the afternoon progresses, the adults get carried away drinking and laughing, and lose track of the children. When a scream breaks out, Erika is the first one on the scene. After the incident, Clementine's marriage suffers, and Erika, who has been undergoing IVF, questions whether or not to continue the process. Vid and Tiffany also suffer the repercussions of the horrible event that occurred in their own backyard. I have read all but one of Liane Moriarty's books, and so far, this is my least favorite. The concept was fine, but the tension that she's usually so good at portraying, was missing. I didn't find any of the characters particularly likable, so I had a hard time empathizing with them. Since I wasn't emotionally invested, the story fell flat for me. If you haven't read anything by Moriarty, I would recommend The Husband's Secret or Big Little Lies over this one.
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October 31, 2016
The Sexy One by Lauren Blakely
The Sexy One - Steamy tale of forbidden love.
The Sexy One lives up to its name! In this contemporary romance novel, Simon, a single dad of a five-year-old daughter, falls for Abby, the nanny. At first, Simon and Abby try to deny their attraction because of their employer/employee relationship, but when Abby agrees to become Simon's French tutor, things heat up quick. Simon and Abby settle for stolen moments after hours, until they get caught by Simon's bitter ex-wife. Instead of derailing their relationship, the incident only serves to draw them closer. This is the fourth novel that I've read by Blakely, and I really enjoy her sense of humor. She also excels at building the rapport between the two main characters, so that the reader is anxious for them to get together. Aside from the provocative titles, and the steamy sex scenes, these are sweet love stories with happy endings. If you like humorous, sexy romance novels, you might like The Sexy One. You might also be interested in my reviews for Mister O and Well-Hung . Happy reading!
The Sexy One lives up to its name! In this contemporary romance novel, Simon, a single dad of a five-year-old daughter, falls for Abby, the nanny. At first, Simon and Abby try to deny their attraction because of their employer/employee relationship, but when Abby agrees to become Simon's French tutor, things heat up quick. Simon and Abby settle for stolen moments after hours, until they get caught by Simon's bitter ex-wife. Instead of derailing their relationship, the incident only serves to draw them closer. This is the fourth novel that I've read by Blakely, and I really enjoy her sense of humor. She also excels at building the rapport between the two main characters, so that the reader is anxious for them to get together. Aside from the provocative titles, and the steamy sex scenes, these are sweet love stories with happy endings. If you like humorous, sexy romance novels, you might like The Sexy One. You might also be interested in my reviews for Mister O and Well-Hung . Happy reading!
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Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan
Little Beach Street Bakery - Sweet and charming.
Little Beach Street Bakery is a charming story of a young woman who reinvents herself. Polly and her long-term boyfriend Chris, lose their home and business during a downturn in the economy. Polly packs her bags and sets off from Plymouth, England to a small seaside town named Mount Polbearne. Here she makes new friends, including a couple of handsome men, and starts a small bakery business out of the flat that she rents on Beach Street. Before long, Polly is fully immersed in her new life, and becomes romantically involved with a rugged fisherman named Tarnie. She suffers through another tragedy before she gives her heart away again, this time to a strapping American, who has also come to Mount Polbearne to escape. This is the second novel that I've read by Colgan, and I enjoy her sweet and simple method of storytelling. She sets her novels in idyllic locations, but still explores the realities of life and love. If you enjoy warm, heartfelt stories that have an old-fashioned element to them, you might enjoy Little Beach Street Bakery. I would also recommend The Bookshop on the Corner, by the same author.
Little Beach Street Bakery is a charming story of a young woman who reinvents herself. Polly and her long-term boyfriend Chris, lose their home and business during a downturn in the economy. Polly packs her bags and sets off from Plymouth, England to a small seaside town named Mount Polbearne. Here she makes new friends, including a couple of handsome men, and starts a small bakery business out of the flat that she rents on Beach Street. Before long, Polly is fully immersed in her new life, and becomes romantically involved with a rugged fisherman named Tarnie. She suffers through another tragedy before she gives her heart away again, this time to a strapping American, who has also come to Mount Polbearne to escape. This is the second novel that I've read by Colgan, and I enjoy her sweet and simple method of storytelling. She sets her novels in idyllic locations, but still explores the realities of life and love. If you enjoy warm, heartfelt stories that have an old-fashioned element to them, you might enjoy Little Beach Street Bakery. I would also recommend The Bookshop on the Corner, by the same author.
The post Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan appeared first on Susan Coventry.
October 26, 2016
Beautiful by Christina Lauren
Beautiful - Last book of the series.
Beautiful is the last book in the Beautiful series by the romance writing duo Christina Lauren. In this story, some of the couples from the previous books get together for a two week road trip into New England wine country. The two single people in the group, Pippa and Jensen, naturally get paired off, even though they are an unlikely couple. Jensen is a conservative, career-oriented lawyer, and Pippa is a fun-loving, quirky character, with colorful hair and a colorful personality to match. When they run into Jensen's ex-wife on the trip, Jensen and Pippa pretend to be married, but soon their "pretend" game turns into something more. The problem is that Pippa's life is in London and Jensen lives in Boston. For those of you who have read the entire Beautiful series, this is a good wrap-up. I enjoyed finding out what happened to the other couples, although, Jensen and Pippa are the primary focus of the story. My favorite part of the book was in the middle when the friends were on vacation together, and Jensen and Pippa's relationship heated up. After that, I found the ending to be a bit anti-climactic. Of the entire series, Beautiful Secret made it on my favorites list. If you like romance novels that are steamy, sassy, and have happy endings, give Christina Lauren a try.
Beautiful is the last book in the Beautiful series by the romance writing duo Christina Lauren. In this story, some of the couples from the previous books get together for a two week road trip into New England wine country. The two single people in the group, Pippa and Jensen, naturally get paired off, even though they are an unlikely couple. Jensen is a conservative, career-oriented lawyer, and Pippa is a fun-loving, quirky character, with colorful hair and a colorful personality to match. When they run into Jensen's ex-wife on the trip, Jensen and Pippa pretend to be married, but soon their "pretend" game turns into something more. The problem is that Pippa's life is in London and Jensen lives in Boston. For those of you who have read the entire Beautiful series, this is a good wrap-up. I enjoyed finding out what happened to the other couples, although, Jensen and Pippa are the primary focus of the story. My favorite part of the book was in the middle when the friends were on vacation together, and Jensen and Pippa's relationship heated up. After that, I found the ending to be a bit anti-climactic. Of the entire series, Beautiful Secret made it on my favorites list. If you like romance novels that are steamy, sassy, and have happy endings, give Christina Lauren a try.
The post Beautiful by Christina Lauren appeared first on Susan Coventry.
October 22, 2016
Pre-order A New Chapter now!
Pre-order A New Chapter now!
Good news! The Kindle edition of my third romance novel, A New Chapter, is now available for pre-order. You can order it from Amazon here and the book will be uploaded to your Kindle on November 23, 2016. Check back for a release date on the paperback version and thanks for reading!
Good news! The Kindle edition of my third romance novel, A New Chapter, is now available for pre-order. You can order it from Amazon here and the book will be uploaded to your Kindle on November 23, 2016. Check back for a release date on the paperback version and thanks for reading!
The post Pre-order A New Chapter now! appeared first on Susan Coventry.
A Paris Apartment by Michelle Gable
A Paris Apartment - A mix of past and present.
A Paris Apartment is a novel of two women: a present-day auctioneer named April Vogt, and a scandalous woman from the past named Marthe de Florian. April is an American who is sent to Paris by Sotheby's to prepare an extensive collection of antiques for auction. The collection once belonged to Marthe, a well-known courtesan in the late 1800's. Among her belongings, are numerous journals that detail her life, and that of the rich and famous Parisians who she associated with. April, who is teetering on the edge of divorce from her cheating husband Troy, is grateful for her escape to Paris, and becomes very intrigued by Marthe's life. April also develops a flirtation with Luc, the French lawyer in charge of the estate. I had mixed feelings about this story. On one hand, I enjoyed the historical aspects, but the current-day storyline fell flat. April often came across as weak and passive as she was trying to decide the fate of her marriage. Her relationship with Luc also turned out to be a disappointment. If you are a fan of French history and/or antiques, you may enjoy this story. Personally, I prefer other books that take place in Paris, such as, The Paris Wife .
A Paris Apartment is a novel of two women: a present-day auctioneer named April Vogt, and a scandalous woman from the past named Marthe de Florian. April is an American who is sent to Paris by Sotheby's to prepare an extensive collection of antiques for auction. The collection once belonged to Marthe, a well-known courtesan in the late 1800's. Among her belongings, are numerous journals that detail her life, and that of the rich and famous Parisians who she associated with. April, who is teetering on the edge of divorce from her cheating husband Troy, is grateful for her escape to Paris, and becomes very intrigued by Marthe's life. April also develops a flirtation with Luc, the French lawyer in charge of the estate. I had mixed feelings about this story. On one hand, I enjoyed the historical aspects, but the current-day storyline fell flat. April often came across as weak and passive as she was trying to decide the fate of her marriage. Her relationship with Luc also turned out to be a disappointment. If you are a fan of French history and/or antiques, you may enjoy this story. Personally, I prefer other books that take place in Paris, such as, The Paris Wife .
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October 20, 2016
Coming Soon!
Coming soon - A New Chapter
I'm in the final phase of editing my third novel, A New Chapter! I'm anxious to introduce you to the main characters, Emma and Zack. Here's a synopsis...
I'm in the final phase of editing my third novel, A New Chapter! I'm anxious to introduce you to the main characters, Emma and Zack. Here's a synopsis...
He’s tall dark and sinfully handsome, but Emma Murphy, is not interested. She’s still reeling from her recent divorce, and would rather find solace in her stacks of books, than with the man with the light gray eyes and the devilish grin.
Zack Kostas fell for Emma once before, but this time he’s a single dad, and his four-year-old daughter Gracie comes first. Emma and Zack agree to be "just friends," but soon discover that staying in the friend zone is easier said than done!
Sometimes love comes along when you least expect it, but will Emma and Zack be able to trust their hearts again? How will they know when the time is right to begin…A New Chapter?
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October 11, 2016
Books about books!
Reviews of books about books.
Do you like books about books? Here's a list of 8 books about books that I've reviewed (in alphabetical order). I've put a star next to my favorites. Click on each title to read the complete review.
The Book of Speculation
The Book Thief*
The Bookshop on the Corner*
The Bookstore*
The Little Paris Bookshop
The Paris Librarian
The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend*
The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry
Do you like books about books? Here's a list of 8 books about books that I've reviewed (in alphabetical order). I've put a star next to my favorites. Click on each title to read the complete review.
The Book of Speculation
The Book Thief*
The Bookshop on the Corner*
The Bookstore*
The Little Paris Bookshop
The Paris Librarian
The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend*
The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry
The post Books about books! appeared first on Susan Coventry.
The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan
The Bookshop on the Corner - Charming!
The Bookshop on the Corner is a charming tale about books, friendship and love. Nina Redmond is a soon-to-be displaced librarian in a sprawling city outside of London. Discouraged by the shrinking job market for book-lovers, Nina hatches an idea to sell books out of a van. She travels to a rural town in Scotland where there happens to be a perfect-sized van for sale. While she's there, she falls in love with the scenery, the town and it's people, and before long she decides to move there. Her friends think that she's crazy for uprooting her life in such a way, but Nina feels much happier in the serene setting than she ever did in the big city. If only her love life could follow suit. Nina falls for a handsome night train operator, but her fantasies about him are dashed when she discovers a secret that he's been hiding. Then there's Lennox, her crabby, yet good-looking landlord, who Nina's attracted to, even though he's in the process of a nasty divorce. At the end of the day, Nina finds her greatest comfort with books, and eventually the rest of her life falls into place. I thoroughly enjoyed this charming, delightful story for it's setting, it's characters and it's message about books. If you like books about books, I would recommend The Bookshop on the Corner and The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend .
The Bookshop on the Corner is a charming tale about books, friendship and love. Nina Redmond is a soon-to-be displaced librarian in a sprawling city outside of London. Discouraged by the shrinking job market for book-lovers, Nina hatches an idea to sell books out of a van. She travels to a rural town in Scotland where there happens to be a perfect-sized van for sale. While she's there, she falls in love with the scenery, the town and it's people, and before long she decides to move there. Her friends think that she's crazy for uprooting her life in such a way, but Nina feels much happier in the serene setting than she ever did in the big city. If only her love life could follow suit. Nina falls for a handsome night train operator, but her fantasies about him are dashed when she discovers a secret that he's been hiding. Then there's Lennox, her crabby, yet good-looking landlord, who Nina's attracted to, even though he's in the process of a nasty divorce. At the end of the day, Nina finds her greatest comfort with books, and eventually the rest of her life falls into place. I thoroughly enjoyed this charming, delightful story for it's setting, it's characters and it's message about books. If you like books about books, I would recommend The Bookshop on the Corner and The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend .
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