SRC 2016 Blog Tour: Book Review: 25 Sense, Lisa Henthorn

I'm participating in #SRC2016 #bestsummerever presented by Book Sparks

Book Sparks Summer Reading Challenge - Learn about it Here

Title: 25 Sense, Lisa Henthorn

Print Length: 177 pages

Publisher: SparkPress

Publication Date: May 24, 2016

S Y N O P S I S

Claire Malone is driven and smart with goals of being a successful screenwriter. But she's 25 and still hasn't got it figured out. For one thing, she never should have fallen for her boss. Not only is he entirely wrong for her - he's married. And her job as a television production assistant isn't getting her any closer to her dream career of actually writing for the shows she's working on. Soon Claire finds that life doesn't always work out the way you have it planned and that being 25 doesn't necessarily mean that she's got it figured out. 25 Sense is the story of a young woman trying to navigate the transition from girlhood into adulthood. Paying her dues in a grueling, cutthroat industry and learning from her immature mistakes both in business and in love.

M Y  T A K E

So there were some things that worked for this book - and there were a lot of things that didn't work for this book.

I'm going to go all Pollyanna for a second and focus on the good here.

Henthorn does a wonderful job illustrating the frustrations that come with a career that just won't take off the way you want it to. Claire finds herself bored, frustrated and upset that her career isn't going in the direction she wants it even though she's working her butt off. It's the typical immature expectation that success is won overnight - Henthorn very clearly spells out that it isn't. And in the majority of cases, this is true. I felt that the protagonist's struggle with her career was well written and probably fairly relatable to many 20 somethings that are just trying to make rent from month to month.

And that's where the glad game ends.

For me, a lot of this book just didn't work. I felt that the romance between Claire and her boss was too forced and contrived (this is huge because it makes up the major issue in the story). Claire was overwhelmingly insecure and emotional about the whole thing. There wasn't enough background for the reader to actually care about their doomed romance. Unfortunately she comes off as whiny, and ridiculously stupid about 95% of the time.

The relationships between Claire and the other characters were fairly predictable and shallow. The author attempts to incorporate some friendships to make the main character's life a little more interesting but I found the supporting cast of characters to be generalizations of stereotypical "friend" type characters in a chick flick. There's the gay best friend, the terrible ex boyfriend, the noble prospective boyfriend, sleazy cheating producer, wise mentor colleague and the snake in the grass that will do anything to get ahead. I wish there had been less time devoted to wallowing in self pity and more time devoted to character development.

I don't mean to roast this novel - all of these pieces could have made for a juicy novel if they had been given the right attention and been further developed. But for me, in the end, this novel couldn't get it together and I was disappointed. I feel that while the writing style was approachable and easy to read, this novel lacked development and was too scattered for my liking. I do believe there's an audience for this book - unfortunately it missed the mark for me.

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A B O U T  T H E  A U T H O R

Lisa Henthorn is a television writer who wrote on the CBS show Swingtown, the CW show The Beautiful Life, and the A&E show The Glades. She lives in Santa Monica, California with her husband.

SRC2016 Blog Tour: Book Review: One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid

I'm participating in #SRC2016 #bestsummerever presented by Book Sparks

Book Sparks Summer Reading Challenge - Learn about it Here

Title: One True Loves, Taylor Jenkins Reid

Print Length: 352 pages

Publisher: Washington Square Press

Publication Date: June 7, 2016

S Y N O P S I S

How often in life do you find your one true love?

And if you lose it - can you find it again?

Emma Blair met the love of her life when she was seventeen. Together, they left their small Massachusetts town to create a life together far away from the expectations of their families and everyone they know. Living in California the two find themselves traveling the world,  fulfilling the dreams they shared, Emma as a travel writer and Jesse's job taking him all over the globe as part of a travel film crew, they're happy and in love and nothing could be better.

Until a year after their wedding, on their first anniversary, Jesse takes a job that will change everything - when the helicopter that he's on crashes into the Pacific Ocean and the entire crew pronounced dead Emma's world is shattered.

Reeling from the devastation of losing her best friend and spouse, she moves home to be with her family. Slowly as the years go by, she begins to pick up the pieces of her life and emerge from the grief that envelops her. She begins to find happiness again, first in her job as the manager of her parent's bookstore, and then with a former high school crush, Sam. With Sam, she's able to move forward and begin anew and soon they become engaged.

And then Jesse calls.

He's been away three and a half years - and been trying to get back to Emma everyday of every year that he's been lost, now he's coming home.

Emma finds herself in the midst of one of the most heart wrenching situations of her life - choosing between the man she lost and the man she found.

M Y   T A K E

Holy smokes  can I just say one thing? Emotions!

So. Many. Emotions.

I could probably end my book review right there. But I won't.

Taylor Jenkins Reid's, One True Loves, is compelling, emotionally raw and wonderful. I really loved this book. While the premise for this novel is nothing new, the story telling is what draws you in and keeps your attention. Emma's first person narration lends an emotional authenticity that allows the reader to really empathize and connect with her. I found myself so torn for Emma - choosing between the life she had, the life she's living and the two men who represent both her past and present. 

Emma's seems an impossible situation with no forthright solution, but what I loved about this was that her decision didn't boil down to who she loved more - it couldn't have - but rather who she wanted to be. I think that Reid really hammered home the concept of self discovery, personal growth and the effects this has on the ones we love in a way that really resonates with the reader.

Reid's writing style is easy to read and fast paced - I flew through this novel in a couple of days. She's a masterful storyteller that has the ability to grab a reader by the heartstrings. The overall character development was wonderful - I thought the characters were flawed, relatable and personable.

I wouldn't hesitation to recommend this book for your summer reading list - it's been one of my favorites so far this year.

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A B O U T  T H E  A U T H O R

Taylor Jenkins Reid is an essayist and novelist living in Los Angeles and the acclaimed author of Maybe in Another Life, After I Do, and Forever, Interrupted. Before becoming a writer, she worked in entertainment and education.

SRC2016 Blog Tour: Book Review: Saving Abby by Steena Holmes

I'm participating in #SRC2016 #bestsummerever presented by Book Sparks

Book Sparks Summer Reading Challenge - Learn about it Here

Title: Saving Abby, Steena Holmes

Print Length: 274 pages

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing

Publication Date: May 31, 2016

Rating: 3/5 Stars

S Y N O P S I S

Claire Turner has always wanted to be a mother. Together with her husband, they make up a children's book author/illustrator duo - so after all they'd make the perfect parents. Except that Claire can't seem to get pregnant. Plagued by the regret of putting her first born up for adoption when she was a teenager, Claire now feels that she'll never have the opportunity to have the one thing she's always wanted - a child of her own.

When a miracle pregnancy occurs, Claire and Josh are overjoyed. Until Claire's health begins to deteriorate and they're faced with the heartbreaking dilemma of saving Claire's life or saving their unborn child's.

M Y  T A K E

Steena Holmes' heartbreaking story of a mother who will do anything to save her unborn child is sweet and touching. If you've ever been a parent, you know the lengths you'll go to protect your children from harm. For Claire, that meant enduring incredible pain to protect her unborn baby and the effects of her choice on her husband, family and friends. I think this is a book that many women could relate to and Claire is the type of character that is easily empathized with.

The supporting cast is a somewhat typical display of small town citizens, which lends to the charm of this book. It's not heavy literary fiction - and although it tackles some moral issues, it wouldn't really be classified as anything other than your average run of the mill general fiction. But despite its predictability I found Saving Abby to be a charming little book. It's a quick read, so perfect for a leisurely afternoon or weekend.

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A B O U T  T H E  A U T H O R

After writing her first novel while working as a receptionist, Steena Holmes made her dream of being a full-time writer a reality. She won the National Indie Excellence Book Award in 2012 for her bestselling novel Finding Emma. Now both a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Steena continues to write stories that touch every parent’s heart in one way or another. To find out more about her books and her love for traveling, you can visit her website at www.steenaholmes.com or follow her journeys over on Instagram @steenaholmes.

SRC2016 Blog Tour: Book Review: Everybody Rise by Stephanie Clifford

I'm participating in #SRC2016 #bestsummerever presented by Book Sparks

Book Sparks Summer Reading Challenge - Learn about it Here

Title: Everybody Rise, Stephanie Clifford

Paperback: 400 pages

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Rating: 2/5 Stars

S Y N O P S I S

Evelyn Beegan is a twenty six year old college graduate who is just trying to do her job. Born to a scheming social climbing mother and her lawyer husband, she's been exposed to upper crust society for the majority of her life. Elite prep schools and Liberal Arts Colleges have been mainstays throughout her adolescent years and early twenties. Despite her privileged upbringing and exposure to wealthy families and their quixotic ways she has always felt an outsider, never quite able to keep up with the wealth or social lives of her peers. But when she is hired as a membership coordinator for People Like Us, a social networking website geared exclusively toward members whose wealth and elite social status earn them an invitation she finds herself in the midst of their world. For the sake of her job, Evelyn begins attending Southhampton parties, Debutante Balls and Adirondack Camps - striving to fit in with the people she desperately seeks to sign up for her website. While initially motivated by her job, she quickly finds that the fast paced, money driven world of the social elite is intoxicating and thrilling - and she'll go to any length to keep up.

M Y  T A K E

Part cautionary tale, part satire, Everybody Rise is an attempt at a modern day Fitzgerald novel without the charm or wit. I found no fault with Clifford's writing and from a technical standpoint her novel is very good. However, I found the characters to be vapid and underdeveloped and the plot weak and anticlimactic which lead to a two star rating from me. Had the character development and plot been there - I could have enjoyed this novel more.

The themes in this novel are nothing new and Clifford doesn't offer a new or refreshing spin on them. Set in Manhattan's Upper East Side - we see a struggling girl who makes one right connection - begins to lie about her family and history to maintain said connection and ultimately finds that her friendship with the people she's trying to desperately to fit in with is wholly dependent on financial clout. Unable to keep up the façade she's built - the narrator essentially crashes and burns in grand style. This reminded me of something akin to Gossip Girl but without the engrossing and much better developed characters (as un-relatable as they were) and fast paced storylines. It would have been nice to see something different from a story that I feel we're all familiar with. On the positive side - there are some humorous exchanges between characters and the book is well written. Because of this, I wouldn't hesitate to pick up another book by this author - I think she shows promise.

A B O U T  T H E  A U T H O R

Stephanie Clifford is a Loeb-award winning reporter at the New York Times, where she currently covers Brooklyn courts. She joined the Times in 2008 from Inc. magazine, where she was a senior writer. Stephanie grew up in Seattle and graduated magna cum laude from Harvard. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband, son and two cats. EVERYBODY RISE is her first book. Visit her website at http://www.stephanieclifford.net.