The House on Sunset Lake by Tasmina Perry

The House on Sunset Lake by Tasmina Perry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Casa D'Or, the mysterious plantation house on Sunset Lake, has been in the Wyatt family for over fifty years. Jennifer Wyatt returns there from university full of hope, as summer by the lake stretches ahead of her. Yet by the time it is over her heart will be broken, her family in tatters, her dreams long gone.

Twenty years later, Casa D'Or stands neglected, a victim of tragic events. Jennifer has closed the door on her past. Then Jim, the man she met and fell in love with that magical summer, comes back into her life, with a plan to return Casa D'Or to its former glory. Their reunion will stir up old ghosts for both of them, and reveal the dark secrets the house still holds close...

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The House on Sunset Lake is a wonderfully written story about young love, destructive secrets, and second chances. I was quickly drawn into the story and I found both storylines equally interesting. Jim Johnson has never really gotten over his first love when he travels to America to oversee the transformation of Casa D'Or from a family home to hotel. But, a chance meeting with Jennifer brings the memories of a summer 20 years back to him and is there a second chance for them or have too much time gone by and are the secrets too dark for them to take on? 

I found The House on Sunset Lake to be an interesting book, and I liked how two grown people got the chance to reconnect 20 years later after falling madly in love when they were young. It's also a tragic story, especially towards the end of the book when so much is revealed, like why Jennifer chooses to stay with Connor and marry him, despite loving Jim. I really felt for Jennifer while reading this book, her father barely knew her, and her mother was trying to control her, going so far as lying to her. There is a scene in this book towards the end of the book at Jennifer's birthday party when I just wished that Jennifer would have put down her foot when those close to her tried to make a big decision for her. I got so mad reading that part. And, it's now we are starting to learn what really happened all those years ago. I must confess that I was surprised to see where to story was going...

This book surprised me, it was much darker and tragic than I had expected. But, that's not bad, it just shows that life isn't always a dance on roses.

I want to thank Headline for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!

Cover Reveal: All She Ever Wished For by Claudia Carroll

ALL SHE EVER WISHED FOR

Claudia Carroll

Publishing in eBook and paperback: 6^th October 2016 

A gorgeous story of chance meetings and unexpected friendships. Because sometimes what you’ve always wished for isn’t necessarily what life has in store . . . 

Marriage. It’s a dream come true. Isn’t it?

One wet winter night, two women meet on a bridge. One is Tess Taylor, a personal trainer on the way to meet her boyfriend for date night. The other is Kate King, a celebrity married to a handsome billionaire who just happens to make her cry. In the cold dark evening, there is nothing to link them together but the bridge they shiver on. Little do they know they’ll both hold the key to each other’s future marriage…All She Ever Wished For tells the story of what happens when your dream is about to come true. And what happens when that dream turns into a bit of a nightmare…

Claudia Carroll brings you a Christmas gift filled with second chances, fateful encounters and a lesson in what true love means.

July Wishlist: Time Travel

Time travel is such an interesting idea, and it's a genre that I kind of like when it comes to romance, something about love that even time can't stop is quite romantic. Here I have listed some time travel books that I want to read, from romance to crime. Well, mostly romance actually....

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History has all but forgotten...

In the spring of 1708, an invading Jacobite fleet of French and Scottish soldiers nearly succeeded in landing the exiled James Stewart in Scotland to reclaim his crown.

Now, Carrie McClelland hopes to turn that story into her next bestselling novel. Settling herself in the shadow of Slains Castle, she creates a heroine named for one of her own ancestors and starts to write.

But when she discovers her novel is more fact than fiction, Carrie wonders if she might be dealing with ancestral memory, making her the only living person who knows the truth-the ultimate betrayal-that happened all those years ago, and that knowledge comes very close to destroying her...

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Science fiction, mystery, a passionate love story, and a detailed history of Old New York blend together in Jack Finney's spellbinding story of a young man enlisted in a secret Government experiment. 

Transported from the mid-twentieth century to New York City in the year 1882, Si Morley walks the fashionable "Ladies' Mile" of Broadway, is enchanted by the jingling sleigh bells in Central Park, and solves a 20th-century mystery by discovering its 19th-century roots. Falling in love with a beautiful young woman, he ultimately finds himself forced to choose between his lives in the present and the past. 

A story that will remain in the listener's memory, "Time and Again" is a remarkable blending of the troubled present and a nostalgic past, made vivid and extraordinarily moving by the images of a time that was...and perhaps still is.

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Like What Dreams May Come, which inspired the movie starring Robin Williams, Somewhere in Time is the powerful story of a love that transcends time and space, written by one of the Grand Masters of modern fantasy.

Matheson's classic novel tells the moving, romantic story of a modern man whose love for a woman he has never met draws him back in time to a luxury hotel in San Diego in 1896, where he finds his soul mate in the form of a celebrated actress of the previous century. 

Somewhere in Time won the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel, and the 1979 movie version, starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour, remains a cult classic whose fans continue to hold yearly conventions to this day.

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In West Akron, there lived a reclusive elderly man who always wore mittens, even in July. He had no friends and no family; all over town, he was known only as the Man from Primrose Lane. And on a summer day in 2008, someone murdered him.

Four years later, David Neff is a broken man. The bestselling author of a true-crime book about an Ohio serial killer, Neff went into exile after his wife’s inexplicable suicide. That is, until an unexpected visit from an old friend introduces him to the strange mystery of “the man with a thousand mittens.” Soon Neff finds himself drawn back into a world he thought he had left behind forever. But the closer he gets to uncovering the true identity of the Man from Primrose Lane, the more he begins to understand the dangerous power of his own obsessions and how they may be connected to the deaths of both his beloved wife and the old hermit.

With a deft and singular blend of suspense, literature, and horror, The Man from Primrose Lane boasts as many twists and turns as a roller coaster. It’s a spellbinding journey of redemption and a reflection on the roles of fate, destiny, and obsession when it comes to matters of the heart.

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"Whatever time we have," he said, "it will be time enough."

Eva Ward returns to the only place she truly belongs, the old house on the Cornish coast, seeking happiness in memories of childhood summers. There she finds mysterious voices and hidden pathways that sweep her not only into the past, but also into the arms of a man who is not of her time.

But Eva must confront her own ghosts, as well as those of long ago. As she begins to question her place in the present, she comes to realize that she too must decide where she really belongs.

From Susanna Kearsley, author of the New York Times bestseller The Winter Sea and a voice acclaimed by fans of Gabaldon, du Maurier, and Niffenegger alike, The Rose Garden is a haunting exploration of love, family, the true meaning of home, and the ties that bind us together.

Check out my friend's wishlist this month:

Stephanie

Holly 

Heather

Erin

Colleen

50th Anniversary Blog Tour: Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann

Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Valley of the Dolls took the world by storm when it was first published, fifty years ago. Never had a book been so frank about sex, drugs and show business. It is often sited as the bestselling novel of all time.

Dolls - red or black; capsules or tablets; washed down with vodka or swallowed straight. For Anne, Neely and Jennifer, it doesn't matter, as long as the pill bottle is within easy reach. These three beautiful women become best friends when they are young and in New York, struggling to make their names in the entertainment industry. Only when they reach the peak of their careers do they find there's nowhere left to go but down - to the Valley of the Dolls.

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Despite being a classic had I before I got asked if I wanted to participate in the blog tour never read nor seen the movie version of Valley of the Dolls. But, since I'm a daring person when it comes to books did I not hesitate to read it, despite not knowing much about the book. I do not know how big a hit the book was in Sweden when it was published, but I have never really heard that much about the book, could be because I was not born when it was published. So, it was interesting to read a book that so many people seem to like and that seemed to have been an inspiration source for other female writers.

And, the book turned out to be quite good, in the kind of depressing way when you read something that you know will not end on a happy note. And, I was right. Anne, Neely, and Jennifer, they all reach success in their own way, but that doesn't mean that their life will be happy and unhappiness in love, addiction to pills and illness mark their lives. I would say that this book written 50 years ago and taking place over 20 years from the middle of the 40s could just as well has been written today. Not, much has changed in the world and the struggle to get to the top is still a dangerous climb. I mean how many celebrities have not died because of drugs in the last couple of years? 

Of all the characters in the book was it Neely that I had the most problems with. Right from the start did I feel that she was annoying and towards the end of the book I really hated her. I really mean that I almost had a throw the book away moment because of her. I get angry just thinking about her while writing the review. Jennifer, I feel sorry for, she is so beautiful, but her mother controlled her life and not even her beauty could make her really happy, or rather her beauty would be the end for her since that was all people saw. And then we have Anne, who only wanted real love, and in the end, she got love, but at a cost. 

It's a very tragic book and I do not know if it's a book I would like to read again, but and I'm glad I read the book. Valley of the Dolls is well-written and interesting and it feels timeless.

Thanks to Virago for providing me with a free copy for an honest review!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jacqueline Susann is a legend in American publishing. Susann was the first author to have three consecutive #1 books on the New York Times Bestseller List. She was married to her beloved husband, producer Irving Mansfield, until her untimely death on September 21, 1974, after a courageously fought battle with breast cancer. Susann's intensely private twelve-year fight to overcome the disease was not known publicly until after death. She was 56...

Praise for Valley of the Dolls

“Valley of the Dolls is truly a timeless classic . . .Today Neely O’Hara would become a YouTube sensation, Jennifer North would be an Instagram influencer, and Anne Welles would be a Snapchat queen. No matter how high-toned people want to be, there’s nothing more addictive than a juicy, scandal-filled, drama-laced soap opera!”—Mickey Boardman, Paper Mag

“Jackie, it seemed, understood by instinct that her readers were ready for the raw side of love . . . for a franker sexuality and a tougher kind of story—for romance with tears and oral sex.”—Michael Korda,New Yorker

“Racing against time for fame, Susann knew how to give readers what they wanted: a shockingly contemporary page-turner that went deep into the stuff of taboo, but still adhered to old scripts of women suffering virtuously in their undying love of men.”—Tim Murphy, Nation

“I marvel as always at the raw energy, the detail, and the grim authenticity of the book’s depiction of New York show biz society in 1945 . . . I grew up as a writer believing that this kind of bestseller was ‘trash’ . . . But I have learned from Jackie Susann. I have always respected her power.”—Anne Rice

“Susann predicted the celebrity culture we live in now. Actually, she invented it: fame is as fame does.”—Letty Pogrebin

“If Jacqueline Susann was not precisely the ‘voice of the 60s,’ then she was its aching female heart.”—Amy Fine Collins, Vanity Fair

“Decades ahead of its time . . . Mesmerizing . . . The equation of emotional dependencies with drug addiction in one comprehensive personality disorder is, if anything, more chic today than in Susann’s time.”—Mim Udovitch, Village Voice Literary Supplement

“Jacqueline Susann’s questioning of glamour and fame, so unsettling in its honesty, crept into my head and stayed there, lingering for years until I was finally able to give it my own expression.”—Lori Goldstein

“Exciting news for all you modern Dolls (#squadgoals) and aspiring millennial readers . . . the story feels more relevant than ever.”—Micaela English, Town & Country

“Valley of the Dolls remains a pop-culture touchstone: a gleefully salacious story of friendship, sex, backstabbing and pills (or ‘dolls’).”—Alexandria Symonds, T: The New York Times Style Magazine

“Valley of the Dolls is a zipper-ripper that has been called trashy, tawdry, glitzy, lusty, sordid and seamy—and that’s just the beginning of its appeal.”—Nancy Bachrach, NPR

“One of the sexiest novels ever written.”—Earl Wilson

“A generation that knows ‘Sex and the City,’ and which connects to Lena Dunham’s ‘Girls,’ may not instantly connect the dots to Susann, who did it all first, and in Pucci. A culture that cavalierly tosses off the term ‘chick lit’ doesn’t fully realize how fast Susann was out of the gate so many decades ago in the way she gave frank talk to women.”—Shinan Govani, Globe and Mail (Toronto)

“Jackie played a role in merging publishing with the entertainment industry and turning it into really big business.”—Esther Margolis

“As an adolescent I ‘borrowed’ a copy from my mother’s bedside basket of books without telling her. The Pepto Bismol–pink cover was irresistible to me, and the novel rewarded my curiosity . . . a salacious read I’ve revisited several times in adulthood.”—Laura June, The Cut, New York Magazine

“Susann’s lurid descriptions of three pill-popping young women struggling with fame and beauty—based off her own life—were vivid and relevant enough to a generation of women
clamoring for stories about themselves.”—Kate Dries, Jezebel

The Daredevil Snared Blog Tour (Excerpt + Giveaway)

About The Daredevil Snared

Mass Market Paperbook: 384 pages

Publisher: MIRA (June 28, 2016)

Responsibility knocks, and a reckless, hedonistic man responds and opens the door to love—thus is a daredevil snared.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens brings you the third installment in THE ADVENTURERS QUARTET, continuing the drama of Regency-era high seas adventure, laced with a mystery shrouded in the heat of tropical jungles, and spiced with the passionate romances of four couples and their unexpected journeys into love.

Captain Caleb Frobisher, hedonistic youngest son of a seafaring dynasty, wants to be taken seriously by his family, and understands he has to prove himself sufficiently reformed. When opportunity strikes, he seizes the next leg of the covert mission his brothers have been pursuing and sails to Freetown. His actions are decisive, and he completes the mission’s next stage—but responsibility, once exercised, has taken root, and he remains in the jungle to guard the captives whose rescue is the mission’s ultimate goal.

Katherine Fortescue has fled the life of poverty her wastrel father had bequeathed her and come to Freetown as a governess, only to be kidnapped and put to work overseeing a child workforce at a mine. She and the other captured adults understand that their lives are limited by the life of the mine. Guarded by well-armed and well-trained mercenaries, the captives have been searching for some means of escape, but in vain. Then Katherine meets a handsome man—a captain—in the jungle, and he and his crew bring the sweet promise of rescue.

The sadistic mercenary captain who runs the mine has other ideas, but Caleb’s true strength lies in extracting advantage from adversity, and through the clashes that follow, he matures into the leader of men he was always destined to be. The sort of man Katherine can trust—with her body, with her life. With her love.

The first voyage is one of exploration, the second one of discovery. The third journey brings maturity, while the fourth is a voyage of second chances. Continue the journey and follow the adventure, the mystery, and the romances to the dramatic end.

Praise for the works of Stephanie Laurens

“Stephanie Laurens’ heroines are marvelous tributes to Georgette Heyer: feisty and strong.” —Cathy Kelly

“Stephanie Laurens never fails to entertain and charm her readers with vibrant plots, snappy dialogue, and unforgettable characters.” —Historical Romance Reviews

“Stephanie Laurens plays into readers’ fantasies like a master and claims their hearts time and again.” —Romantic Times Magazine

Read an excerpt from The Daredevil Snared by Stephanie Laurens

He frowned. “I need you to tell me about Dubois—about how he manages the camp and all of you.” 

She hesitated, her gaze on his face. His handsome face, but this time, she looked beyond the glamour. “First…will you tell me your name, please?” 

He met her eyes, then he stepped back and swept her a bow. “Captain Caleb Frobisher, of Frobisher Shipping Company, sailing out of Aberdeen.” Despite his level tone, as he straightened, he waggled his brows at her. 

She nearly laughed in surprise, threw him a mock-disapproving look instead, but the silly byplay reassured her. “Hopkins and Fanshawe thought that was who you were.” 

“Ah, of course. I don’t know them personally, but they would know my older brothers.” 

She peered into the shadows behind him. “Diccon said you had twenty-four men with you.” 

Caleb grinned down at Diccon, who had remained be side Katherine and was staring up at Caleb with rapt at tention. “That’s correct, but most are busy burying some weapons in a cache by the lake, and others are watch ing the compound or guarding our camp. I only brought one man with me—a friend, another captain, who I’m grateful saw fit to join me in this mission.” He returned his gaze to Katherine’s face. “With your permission?” 

When she nodded, he waved to Phillipe to join them. 

Phillipe walked out of the jungle. Caleb performed the introductions—and discovered he wasn’t all that happy to have to watch Phillipe bow over Miss Fortescue’s hand and press a kiss to her knuckles. 

He knew it was just Phillipe’s way, yet… 

But on retrieving her hand with no more than a polite smile, Miss Fortescue immediately returned her bright hazel eyes to Caleb’s face. “Weapons?”

Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

About Stephanie Laurens

New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens originally began writing as an escape from the dry world of professional science. Her hobby quickly became a career; she has been writing historical romance novels for more than 20 years. Currently living outside Melbourne, Australia with her husband and two cats, she spends most of her days writing new stories in her signature ‘Errol Flynn meets Jane Austen” style.

Connect with Stephanie

Website | Facebook

Stephanie Laurens’ TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS

Monday, June 27th: Reading Reality

Tuesday, June 28th: From the TBR Pile – excerpt

Wednesday, June 29th: The Sassy Bookster – excerpt

Friday, July 1st: A Chick Who Reads

Monday, July 4th: Bewitched Bookworms

Tuesday, July 5th: A Bookaholic Swede – excerpt

Wednesday, July 6th: The Maiden’s Court

Friday, July 8th: Sharon’s Garden of Book Reviews

Tuesday, July 12th: Becky on Books

Wednesday, July 13th: A Holland Reads

Thursday, July 14th: Books a la Mode – excerpt

Friday, July 15th: What I’m Reading

Monday, July 18th: Broken Teepee – excerpt

Monday, July 18th: Buried Under Romance – excerpt and review

Tuesday, July 19th: Beverages and Books

Wednesday, July 20th: Diary of a Stay At Home Mom

Thursday, July 21st: Black ‘n Gold Girls Book Reviews

Friday, July 22nd: Moonlight Rendezvous

Monday, July 25th: The Romance Dish

Tuesday, July 26th: The Reading Wench

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Defender by Diana Palmer Blog Tour

About Defender
Series: Her Long Tall Texan
Hardcover: 384 pages
Publisher: HQN Books (June 28, 2016)

The man who shattered her trust is back to protect her… New York Times bestselling author Diana Palmer delivers a breathtaking story of second-chance love.

When Paul Fiore disappeared from Isabel Grayling’s life, he told himself it was for all the right reasons. She was young and innocent, and he was her millionaire father’s lowly employee. Three years on, Paul is the FBI agent assigned to Isabel’s case. Too late, he realizes what life in her Texas mansion was really like back then—and how much damage he did when he left.

Once love-struck and sheltered, Isabel has become an assistant district attorney committed to serving the law, no matter how risky it gets. But right now, the man she can’t forgive is the one thing standing between her and a deadly stalker. She knows Paul won’t hesitate to protect her life with his own. But if she can’t trust herself to resist him, how can she trust him not to break her heart all over again?

Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

Excerpt

Paul was going through the process of applying to the FBI’s elite Hostage Rescue Team. He had a friend who was a sniper in one of the two units, and he hoped that his skills and his physical condition would qualify him for one of the openings.

It was going to be a long shot. He was in his midthirties. He’d be competing against guys in their twenties, in much better physical shape than he was, with better weapon skills. But he couldn’t stay in San Antonio and risk running into Is abel, as he certainly would if he continued as a special agent. It wasn’t something that his heart could bear. The rigors of training, and the adrenaline rush of standing on ready night and day for assignments in the exclusive HRT would keep him from brooding too much.

Jon Blackhawk was less than enthusiastic about his plans.

“You’re one of the best agents I’ve ever worked with,” Jon told him with genuine feeling. “I hate to lose you.”

“Hey, I might not even get to apply,” Paul said, chuckling. “They don’t pick just anybody for the application process.”

“You’d have a good shot at it, if that’s what you really want to do,” he added. “You should talk to Garon Grier. He was with HRT for several years.”

“I’d forgotten that,” Paul said.

Jon nodded. “The guys who were on his former team came to the hospital when his wife was about to give birth. She had a leaky heart valve and didn’t tell him. Her life was al most taken by a serial killer when she was a little over eight months pregnant. She lived against all the odds.”

“I’d heard a little about him, but nothing that personal. Poor guy. He seems happy enough now.”

“A wife, a son, a good job and a ranch in Jacobsville. Not bad at all.”

Paul knew what the other man was saying. He pretended not to understand. “Anything else in the pipe about Morris?” he asked, changing the subject.

“We got a tip from a guy who thought he saw him in a res taurant here in the city,” Jon replied. “All our violent-crime agents are leaning on their CIs to see if anybody knows any thing.”

Paul understood the reference to Confidential Informant very well. Every agent had several, usually ex-cons who could be persuaded to feed information back to the Bureau. They were invaluable in tight investigations.

He thought of Isabel, still under the gun, along with Mer rie and Mandy, as long as Morris was on the loose. It unset tled him, thinking that Isabel could die. He’d gone through hell when he left Darwin Grayling’s employ years before. He’d almost gone off the deep end, remembering Isabel’s soft arms clinging to him, her mouth answering his in a hunger that easily equaled his own. She didn’t know, but he’d tried to hire back on two miserable weeks later. Darwin Grayling had been polite and friendly, but he’d already replaced Paul and there were no other positions. He was sorry, but surely Paul would be happier closer to his wife and child, Darwin had said. Paul had had to agree. The lie had carried him too far already to turn back. He just hadn’t known it.

About Diana Palmer

The prolific author of more than one hundred books, Diana Palmer got her start as a newspaper reporter. A New York Times bestselling author and voted one of the top ten romance writers in America, she has a gift for telling the most sensual tales with charm and humor. Diana lives with her family in Cornelia, Georgia.

Connect with Diana

Website | Facebook

Diana Palmer’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:

Monday, June 6th: Stranded in Chaos

Wednesday, June 8th: Stuck in Books – excerpt

Thursday, June 9th: Reading Reality

Friday, June 10th: A. Holland Reads – excerpt

Monday, June 13th: Written Love Reviews

Tuesday, June 14th: Mignon Mykel {Reviews}

Wednesday, June 15th: From the TBR Pile – excerpt

Monday, June 20th: The Sassy Bookster – excerpt

Wednesday, June 22nd: Sharon’s Garden of Book Reviews

Thursday, June 23rd: Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

Friday, June 24th: Books a la Mode – excerpt

Monday, June 27th: A Bookaholic Swede – excerpt

Tuesday, June 28th: A Chick Who Reads

Tuesday, June 29th: Bookaholics Not-so-Anonymous

Thursday, June 30th: What I’m Reading

TBD: Worth Getting in Bed For

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#BookReview Mambo i Chinatown (Mambo in Chinatown) by Jean Kwok (SWE/ENG)

Mambo in Chinatown by Jean Kwok
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

SWEDISH REVIEW

Ny roman från prisbelönta Jean Kwok som gav oss succén Nästan hemma!

En inspirerande askungesaga om flickan som finner ett nytt liv med dansens hjälp!

Tjugotvååriga Charlie Wong växte upp i New Yorks Chinatown som den äldsta dottern till en ballerina från Peking och en nudelmakare. Trots att hon fötts i USA har hon levt hela sitt liv enbart i dessa kvarter. Nu i vuxen ålder lever hon i samma lilla lägenhet med sin änkling till far och sin elvaåriga syster, och vantrivs med sitt jobb som diskare.

När hon börjar jobba som receptionist på en dansstudio får hon tillträde till en värld hon hittills knappt förstått existerar, och den klumpiga Charlie visar sig ha ärvt sin döda mors danstalang. Charlie blommar ut, långt från sin fars traditionella österländska regler.

Men så blir hennes lillasyster sjuk… kommer Charlie kunna rädda sin syster utan att behöva offra sin nya värld och identitet?

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Mambo i Chinatown var en härlig överraskning! Jag hade hoppas på en småtrevlig bok, men jag räknade inte alls med att boken skulle vara så fängslade och förtjusande att det var svårt att lägga ifrån sig den. Boken lyckas med att både vara rolig och allvarlig och Charlies förvandling som sker gradvis genom bokens handling är underbar att följa.

Men det är kulturkrocken mellan öst och väst som ger boken en special känsla. Jean Kwok har verkligen lyckats med att beskriva problem för en ung kvinna född i Amerika med kinesiska föräldrar. Charlies pappa är t.ex. emot västerländsk medicin och vägrar låta Charlies lillasyster Lisa få läkarhjälp när hon blir sjuk. han förlitar sig istället på österländska traditioner för att finna vad som är fel på henne. Han är förövrigt inte världens bästa stöd för systrarna (trots att han älskar dem) och mycket av den yttervärldens kontakt som t.ex. skola får Charlie ta hand om när det gäller Lisa.

Det enda jag kan säga om boken som jag inte gillade var slutet. Eller rättare sagt att boken tog slut. Jag skulle ha velat läsa mer om Charlie, hennes familj och hennes vänner och fått reda på vad som händer härnäst.

Tack till Bazar Förlag för recensionexemplaret!

ENGLISH REVIEW

From the bestselling author of Girl in Translation, a novel about a young woman torn between her family duties in Chinatown and her escape into the world of ballroom dancing.

Twenty-two-year-old Charlie Wong grew up in New York’s Chinatown, the older daughter of a Beijing ballerina and a noodle maker. Though an ABC (America-born Chinese), Charlie’s entire world has been limited to this small area. Now grown, she lives in the same tiny apartment with her widower father and her eleven-year-old sister, and works—miserably—as a dishwasher.

But when she lands a job as a receptionist at a ballroom dance studio, Charlie gains access to a world she hardly knew existed, and everything she once took to be certain turns upside down. Gradually, at the dance studio, awkward Charlie’s natural talents begin to emerge. With them, her perspective, expectations, and sense of self are transformed—something she must take great pains to hide from her father and his suspicion of all things Western. As Charlie blossoms, though, her sister becomes chronically ill. As Pa insists on treating his ailing child exclusively with Eastern practices to no avail, Charlie is forced to try to reconcile her two selves and her two worlds—Eastern and Western, old world and new—to rescue her little sister without sacrificing her newfound confidence and identity.

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Mambo in Chinatown was a delightful surprise! I had hoped that the book would be pleasant to read, but I never thought that it would be both engrossing and charming. And, hard to put down. The book manages to be both funny and serious and Charlie's transformation that occurs gradually throughout the books is wonderful to follow.

However, it's the culture clash between east and west that gives the books a special atmosphere. Jean Kwok has really managed to describe the problems a young girl faces in America with parents from China. Charlie's father is for instance against western medicine and refuses to let Charlie's little sister Lisa have medical aid when she gets sick. Instead, he relies on eastern traditions to try to find out what's wrong with her. He is, to be honest not the always the best support for the sisters (despite that he loves them) and much of the outside world contact like school is Charlie the one that has to deal with when it comes to Lisa.

The only thing I didn't like about the book was the ending. Or rather that the book ended. I would have loved to read more about Charlie, her family and friends and what will happen next to them all.

Thanks to Bazar Förlag for the review copy!

All Together Now Blog Tour

All Together Now by Gill Hornby
My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

A hilarious and heart-warming new novel about a small-town singing group, by Sunday Times bestseller Gill Hornby

The small town of Bridgeford is in crisis. The high street is half empty, businesses are closing and the idea of civic pride seems old-fashioned to the commuters rushing home from work. Somehow, it seems to have lost its heart.

But there is one thing that might just bring the town together: music. The Bridgeford Community Choir has a chance of winning the county championship. First though, the small band of singers must find a lot of new members and a whole new sound. Enter Tracey - one of life's soloists, and hiding a secret past; Bennett - a church choir refugee, baffled by the modern world. And Jazzy - who sees her voice as her passport straight out of town to a future of fame and fortune. Can they really fit in with dependable old regulars like Annie? Can they learn to work together, save their singing group and maybe even their community? 

All Together Now is a funny, sharply observed and moving novel about the joys of singing, about living in harmony, about falling in love... and about the importance of finding your own, true voice.

**********

All Together Now was not as easygoing to read as I had hoped for. Not that I didn't enjoy the book. I did like parts of the book. However, I also found the book a bit dry to read. Just not as funny and engrossing as I had hoped it to be. For instance, I had a pretty hard time getting into the book and enjoying all the different characters plight and quirkiness. But, somewhere along the way I started to enjoy the book more and more and some characters situations did come to intrigue and amuse me.  

For instance, I wasn't that interested in Bennett, but when he started the choir and started to change he suddenly becomes more interesting, the same thing happened with Tracey. What was her big secret and how come Bennett thought he recognized her from somewhere? And, then we have Annie, who to be honest could be a bit annoying in the beginning, but the more one got to know her the more one could see that this busybody also had her problems. And, the last part of the book was quite good, secrets were revealed, injustice was discovered and taken care of and the choir really started to become an important part in Bridgeford.

So, the book actually did turn out quite good, despite a slow start for me with some problem with the story and its characters. I even laughed out loud at one part towards the end of the book and I came to like the quirky characters in the choir.

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy of the book and for letting me taking part in the blog tour!

The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George (SWE/ENG)

The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

SWEDISH REVIEW

En magisk roman för alla dem som tror att ordets kraft kan läka ett brustet hjärta! 

Monsieur Perdu kan ordinera den perfekta boken för ett brustet hjärta. Men kan han kurera sitt eget?

Monsieur Perdu kallar sig för litterär apotekare. Från sin flytande bokhandel belägen på en pråm på floden Seine ordinerar han romaner för alla livets motgångar. Genom att använda sin intuition finner han exakt den bok läsaren behöver, och reparerar på detta sätt både brustna själar och hjärtan. Den enda han inte verkar kunna kurera genom litteraturen är sig själv; han lider fortfarande i kval efter att hans livs stora kärlek försvann. Bakom sig lämnade hon endast ett brev, som han aldrig öppnade.

Efter att Perdu slutligen förmått sig att läsa brevet lättar han ankar och ger sig av på en resa till södra Frankrike i hopp om att komma över sin förlust och få ett avslut på historien. Med sig har han en storsäljande författare med skrivkramp samt en (kärlekskrank italiensk kock, och längs Frankrikes floder reser Perdu, delar ut sin visdom och sina böcker, och visar hur den litterära världen kan ta den mänskliga själen på en resa för att hela sig själv.

**********

Jag föll för omslaget och handlingsbeskrivningen av Den lilla bokhandeln i Paris. En man som ägnar sig åt att sälja böcker för att läka brustna hjärtan lätt alldeles förtjusande. Jag hoppades verkligen att den skulle inge mig samma känsla som jag får när jag ser på Amelie från Montmartre. Tyvärr så visade sig att boken inte alls på långa vägar var så charmig som jag hade förväntat mig. Detta är en bok vars grundidé verkar genialiskt men som tyvärr inte alls visar sig lika kul att läsa som man tror. Eller i alla fall så kände jag.

Nu säger jag inte att boken är dålig, den hade sina poänger, här och där var dialogen träffsäker, men storyn och karaktärena var tyvärr båda bleka och själva "kärlekshistorien" bokens grundberättelse var på tok för ointressant. Får jag vara riktigt ärlig så fattar jag inte hur man kan vänta 20 år med att öppna ett brev, men utan det hade det inte blivit en bok så jag försökte inte störa mig så mycket på det. Men alla dessa karaktärer, många väldigt udda och speciella borde ju ha gjort boken mysig att läsa. Mja, inte direkt, den enda som jag verkligen gillade var Samy, resten fäste jag mig inte alls för, inte ens Monsieur Perdu.

Jag förstår att vissa tilltalas oerhört av den, ta till sig varje ord och karaktärer och verkligen älskar boken och jag vill inget hellre än tillhöra den skaran. Men tyvärr för ofta fann jag att jag tappade fokuset när jag läste boken. Jag gillar verkligen idén med en litterär apotekare på en pråm i Paris. Faktum är att bara en bokhandel på en pråm låter som en alldeles förträfflig idé!

Tack till Bazar Förlag för recensionexemplaret!

ENGLISH REVIEW

On a barge on the Seine, Jean Perdu runs a bookshop, or rather a 'literary apothecary', for this bookseller possess a rare gift for sensing which books will soothe his customers' troubled souls.

The only person he is unable to cure, it seems, is himself. For twenty-one years he has nursed a broken heart - and never dared open the letter his love left behind. But the arrival of an enigmatic new neighbour inspires Jean to unlock his heart, unmoor the floating bookshop and set off for Provence, in search of the past and his beloved.

**********

I really love the cover and the blurb for the book. A man that spends his time selling books that will heal one's broken heart sounded like a wonderful book. I really hoped that it would give me the same feeling reading this book as I get watching Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain, but unfortunately the book was not at all as charming as I had expected it to be. This is a book that has a terrific basic concept, but that just doesn't turn out to be as good as the idea sounds. Or, at least that's how I felt about the book.

I don't think this book is bad, the story has its moments and hear and there the dialogue is quite good, but the whole story and the characters are too pale. And, the "love story" is, to be honest frankly not that interesting. Also, I can't understand how someone can wait 20 years to open a letter, but without that part of the story wouldn't it be a book at all, so I tried to not let that bother me while reading the book. And, I thought that all the odd characters would make to book fun to read. Well, not exactly, to be honest, the only character I really liked was Samy, the rest I just didn't care that much for, not even Monsieur Perdu.

I can understand how some people will find the book appealing to read and they will love every word and character in the book and I wish I could be apart of the group. But, I lost the focus too often while reading the book. However, I do think the idea of a literary apothecary on a pram in Paris sounds like a fantastic idea. Even just a bookstore on a pram in Paris sounds fantastic.

Thanks to Bazar Förlag for the review copy!

Cover Reveal of Dream Magic by Michelle Mankin

 Title: Dream Magic

Series: The Magic Series #2

By: Michelle Mankin

Publication Date: June 7, 2016

Genre: Paranormal Romance

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The dreamscape is a place of magic and mystery and meaning. In that nocturnal realm, ideas, images, sensations and emotions drift on the currents of the unconscious mind.

Morpheus the Dream Falcon is most at home in that domain. By night, the one of a kind winged immortal soars on those winds, observing and sometimes even entering the slumbering thoughts of another. By day, he is a highly sought after mercenary feared by his immortal kin for both his unmatched ferocity and his wicked obsidian talons. None of his prey escapes him.

Cecilia Ramirez y Aguilera is the one he truly wants. But the striking oracle of the Court of the Light Immortals is closed to the handsome outlaw, even in her dreams. Broken by unimaginable losses, the seer is but a slave, subject to the whims of a master who is mad and without mercy.

Drawn together by fate, their impossible passion ignites. But will that be enough given the dangerous secrets each keeps from the other? Or will mistrust and the desire for revenge threaten to unravel the powerful magic that binds them?

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Catch up on the series with Strange Magic

The Magic Series #1

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The New York Times bestselling author of the Black Cat Records series of novels.

Romance with subtext.

Reimagining classic stories with sexy rock stars and thought provoking issues.

Love Evolution, Love Revolution, and Love Resolution are a BRUTAL STRENGTH centered trilogy, combining the plot underpinnings of Shakespeare with the drama, excitement, and indisputable sexiness of the rock 'n roll industry. Things take a bit of an edgier, once upon a time turn with the TEMPEST series. These pierced, tatted, and troubled Seattle rockers are young and on the cusp of making it big, but with serious obstacles to overcome that may prevent them from ever getting there. Rock stars, myths, and legends collide with paranormal romance in a totally mesmerizing way in the MAGIC series. When Michelle is not prowling the streets of her Texas town listening to her rock music much too loud, she is putting her daydreams down on paper or traveling the world with her family and friends, sometimes for real, and sometimes just for pretend as she takes the children to school and back.

Social Media Links Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Michelle-Mankin/233503403414065 Twitter - @MichelleMankin Website - http://www.michellemankin.com/ Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5835506.Michelle_Mankin Instagram - #MichelleMankin

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