Designer You

by Sarahlyn Bruck

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

She was sick with rage and fear that Nate had the audacity to be dead on today of all days. Insensitive jerk. Just the idea of getting up on stage by herself made her stomach cramp and she’d been in and out of the bathroom during the entire flight.

Pam thought her entire outfit didn’t cost half as much as the shoes the hostess was wearing. At once, she felt too young and unsophisticated, like the kid at the adult table at Thanksgiving who longs to be back at the kids’ table with her younger cousins eating turkey in front of a Disney cartoon.

She wasn’t sure what hurt more, the casualness with which Grace could just fling insults at her or the fact that so often those insults were based in truth.

Nate himself would never fade, but those little details would start to get fuzzy in the same way any memory blurs over time. She clung to the impossible wish that she could hold onto everything about Nate, save it all onto a disk or a thumb drive, and whenever she wasn’t sure about the details of an experience she’d had with him, she could pull it up on her laptop and experience that trip, that meal, that birthday, all over again.

My Review:

I grew increasingly restless as I pushed through this book – it really wasn’t to my taste. I should have stopped reading and pushed this one in the DNF pile. The premise had promise and while there were a few glimmers of entertaining observations, I found the overall execution to be mundane and morose. I kept waiting for the story to improve and sadly, it just never did. While it wasn’t bad, it was just middle of the road, real-life humdrum type of okay.   The characters were exasperating and annoying and weren’t people I could care for or about, nor were they endearing to me, as the mourning widow seemed to have bailed on everything except finishing her deceased husband’s projects. Her priorities were askew and in particular, she wasn’t parenting and selfishly leaving her grieving teenaged daughter fending for herself and growing increasingly resentful, defiant and obnoxious, and making extremely poor choices.   Like many neglectful parents, instead of seeking help or providing consequences, she threw money at it and little else until it was too late. By the time the mother finally gained some insights and their relationship had started to turn around, the story stopped. And I truly mean it just stopped, without an ending, which is something I find particularly irksome. But maybe it is just me, as this story seems to have tripped several landmines in the field of my pet peeves.

The Craft Room
by Dave Holwill

Goodreads

Sylvia Blackwell is tired. Her grandchildren are being kept away from her, and the expected inheritance that might finally get her middle-aged son to move out has failed to materialize – thanks to her mother’s cat. It is becoming increasingly difficult to remain composed. On a romantic clifftop walk for her 47th Wedding Anniversary, an unexpected opportunity leads to a momentous decision that will irretrievably change the course of her life.

The Craft Room is a darkly comic tale of sex, crepe paper, murder and knitting in a sleepy Devon town, with a ‘truly original’ premise and genuinely jaw-dropping moments. What would you do if unexpectedly freed from bondage you never knew you were in? How would your children cope? How far would you go to protect them from an uncomfortable truth? You can only push a grandmother so far…

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

His back prevented him from doing any heavy lifting (though not from swinging golf clubs or working on his vintage Aston Martin) so he was acting as driver, organiser and supervisor. He decided to exercise his supervisory skills, straightened his tie in the mirror, and hopped out again to rally the team. An hour of encouraging sarcasm, withering looks and occasional shouts of ‘come on!’ later, the van was loaded and they headed off… He made the best of it, helping them along with encouraging remarks like, ‘careful those stringy arms of yours don’t come out of their sockets son,’ and, ‘I think your mother’ll have to carry this one, it’s probably a bit heavy for you.’

‘It’s almost funny you know,’ Ron said, as the silence grew oppressive, ‘we probably won’t be out of debt now until one of us dies!’ ‘Ron!’ Sylvia exclaimed, ‘you shouldn’t even joke about that.’ She tried not to overdo her shock – in case Ron realised she had already started work on his eulogy.

Those people were incredibly dull, and refused to accept that Batman: Year One is credible literature – bloody snobs… I wanted to love that book group Frank, I have read all the Hardy Boys mysteries, did they care?

… looking at the sad, impaled remains of what to him would always be a tweedy, waist-coated, wise old friend (rather than a big, vicious bastard that would bite your hand off if you stuck it in the wrong hedge). Don was not really a country boy at heart, and his only experience with wildlife came from books and cartoons.

My Review:

This book and its main character were superbly crafty, in every sense of the word. Laced with wry wit and wickedly clever humor, this cunningly observant and insightfully written book was found treasure. I am having a hard time classifying the genre beyond literary fiction. The storylines were highly entertaining, well integrated and smartly paced.   While the narrative was skillfully written and slyly amusing, the humor was dark, furtively devious, and brilliantly stealthy. The pace was slow yet pleasantly relaxing while secrets were gradually uncovered and the body count quietly ticked up.

I relished this well-honed book from start to finish. The characters were well-drawn, fascinatingly flawed, and rather loathsome, even the ones I admired or pitied the most. Yet I was captivated and my curiosity was on red button high alert. I took great delight in the author’s artful handling of the inner musings of the undetected and repressed sociopathic characteristics of Sylvia.   Sylvia was the craftiest of the crafters, a dependable and stalwart community participant and longtime Sunday School teacher who had diligently plotted and schemed  while she  labored tirelessly to maintain her position as the reigning community queen bee for decades – until her latest entry was ranked as second place. Gasp! This painful slight seemed to signal the turning of the tide for Sylvia as her patience, and apparently, her conscience had worn thin. Soon thereafter, she seemed to be uncannily present during a series of accidental deaths. Not all of which were her fault, although she nimbly and resourcefully may have hastened them, just a bit.

Author Bio

Dave Holwill was born in Guildford in 1977 and quickly decided that he preferred the Westcountry – moving to Devon in 1983 (with some input from his parents).
After an expensive (and possibly wasted) education there, he has worked variously as a postman, a framer, and a print department manager (though if you are the only person in the department then can you really be called a manager?) all whilst continuing to play in every kind of band imaginable on most instruments you can think of.

His debut novel, Weekend Rockstars, was published in August 2016 to favorable reviews and his second The Craft Room (a very dark comedy concerning death through misadventure) came out in August 2017. He is currently in editing hell with the third.

Social Media Links –

https://www.facebook.com/daveholwill100

https://twitter.com/daveholwill

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15584279.Dave_Holwill

https://www.instagram.com/dave_holwill/

http://davedoesntwriteanythingever.blogspot.com/

The Oddest Little Chocolate Shop

by Beth Good

Goodreads

Amazon US / UK  / B&N

Treat yourself to something delicious . . .

‘I love Beth Good’s quirky style!’ – bestselling author Katie Fforde

When Clementine discovers that Monsieur Ravel’s beloved chocolaterie is about to close, she rushes to rescue it – without thinking through the consequences.

A lost Persian cat, a depressed but utterly gorgeous French chocolatier, an allergic shop assistant in search of true love, the oddest little chocolate shop Clementine has ever seen . . .

Can Clementine save them all, or has she bitten off more than she can chew?

A delicious, feel-good novella set in the world of chocolate-making from popular romantic comedy writer Beth Good.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

… she was twenty-three and every chocolate she consumed seemed to find its way unerringly to her hips, thighs and squashy bottom. So she had sworn not to touch chocolate for an entire year, one of those absurd promises you make when you step on the scales after a long period of backsliding and wonder if cutting your hair would make a difference.

Her reflection stared back at her mutely: a too-tall blonde with flyaway hair that simply would not behave on this windy day, slanted hazel eyes and a generous mouth. Generous, her mother used to say, because it was forever opening and spouting words. And usually at the worst possible moments.

Clementine considered the very real possibility of throwing herself out of the window but then decided she would not fit through the narrow frame. Attempting a dramatic suicide and getting her hips stuck would not help matters. Or salve her wounded ego.

My Review:

In less than a week I have become an ardent worshipper at the altar of the comedic goddess known as Beth Good, no joke – I will fangirl her hard.   She is found treasure and a recent discovery for me. Her perfect arrangements of words fill me with rapturous glee and a cascade of giggle-snorts while adding a near-constant smirk and impish twinkle to my facial expression. Her cleverly amusing tales are packed with snappy humor, original and uniquely quirky characters, and a delightfully engaging and entertaining writing style. I adored her calamitous Clementine with her highly active imagination, clumsiness, death touch to mechanical devices, and riotous daydreams.   The Oddest Little Chocolate Shop was definitely a tasty treat from start to finish and the source for my latest Brit Vocab List entry of dogsbody, which Mr. Google told me was informal British for, “a person who is given boring, menial tasks to do,” what we Americans would call a gopher – someone to go-for whatever the boss wants. Despite my natural tendencies and preference for sloth, I have come to adore the divine Beth Good to the outlandish degree of giving wistful consideration toward enlisting as her ever-faithful dogsbody.

Author Bio –

Born and raised in Essex, England, Beth Good was whisked away to an island tax haven at the age of eleven to attend an exclusive public school and rub shoulders with the rich and famous. Sadly, she never became rich or famous herself, so had to settle for infamy as a writer of dubious novels. She writes under several different names, mainly to avoid confusing her readers – and herself! As Beth Good, she writes romantic comedy and feel-good fiction. She also writes thrillers as Jane Holland, historicals as Victoria Lamb and Elizabeth Moss, and feel-good fiction as Hannah Coates.

Beth currently lives in the West Country where she spends a great deal of time thinking romantic thoughts while staring out of her window at sheep. (These two actions are unrelated.)

You can find her most days on Twitter as @BethGoodWriter where she occasionally indulges in pointless banter about chocolate making and the Great British Bake Off. Due to a basic inability to say no, she has too many children and not enough money, which means she needs as many readers as she can get.

Social Media Links –

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BethGoodAuthor

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/BethGoodWriter

The Oddest Little Book Shop

by Beth Good

Goodreads

Amazon US / UK  / B&N

Escape to the gorgeous seaside resort of Port Pol, where love and laughter overflow in the Cornish sunshine.

‘I love Beth Good’s quirky style!’ – bestselling author, Katie Fforde

After ten long years away, television star Daisy Diamond is finally going home.

She’s not back at the gorgeous seaside resort of Port Pol in sunny Cornwall five minutes before she realizes the mistake she’s made. Her childhood sweetheart Nick Old – affectionately known as ‘Devil’ – is still living there, running the local bookshop, and he is determined to rekindle their flame.

Daisy is no longer the dewy-eyed romantic of her school days. Her life may not have gone according to plan, but she’s not afraid to show Nick how much she’s grown since he famously dumped her at the school leavers’ disco.

Even if it means bending her heart out of shape a little . . .

A charming summer novella from popular romantic comedy writer Beth Good and another entry in her quirky ‘Oddest Little Shop’ series.

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

Part of her wanted to dissolve in a pathetic heap after the verbal lashing he had just given her. Another part of her wanted to go and throw mud pies at the disappearing back window of his car.

‘I look appalling. Like I charge by the hour.’ ‘Oh, the half-hour, I’d say,’ Kirsty corrected her cheerfully…

Ha, you really look terrified now. Betwattled, as my great-gran would have said.

My Review:

I enjoy a clever second chance romance and score – I stumbled on one by my new favorite author, and thankfully, she has delivered an exceptionally thoughtful and amusing tale that kept me guessing. I am blissfully enjoying the pleasantly amusing and entertaining arrangements of words from the talented wordsmith known as Beth Good. With The Oddest Little Book Shop, I am three novellas in with her Oddest Little Shop series, and one of my favorite things about this installment was the wily and cunning name given to a despicable paparazzi photographer – Ron Scrotes. I’m just immature enough to smirk each time he appeared. Ms. Good’s wry wit may have caused an indelicate yet gleeful snort or ten, as Mr. Scrotes tends to pop up at inopportune moments for the main characters.

I adored the lovely Daisy Diamond, who became the biggest celebrity ever to have sprung from the small Cornish village of her youth. The same small Cornish village she fled ten years prior with a broken heart after being crushed by The Devil, AKA Nick Old – again – she is just so crafty with the clever names. The twists and turns leading to her painful teenaged heartbreak were finally explained to her and were quite compelling, yet there were many complications that presented a quagmire to unravel and make right. I didn’t think it could be done in a novella but Ms. Good miraculously made it happen and with a highly satisfying and happy ending for all parties, even the harpy who didn’t deserve one, but apparently Ms. Good is generous like that.

Author Bio – 

Born and raised in Essex, England, Beth Good was whisked away to an island tax haven at the age of eleven to attend an exclusive public school and rub shoulders with the rich and famous. Sadly, she never became rich or famous herself, so had to settle for infamy as a writer of dubious novels. She writes under several different names, mainly to avoid confusing her readers – and herself! As Beth Good, she writes romantic comedy and feel-good fiction. She also writes thrillers as Jane Holland, historicals as Victoria Lamb and Elizabeth Moss, and feel-good fiction as Hannah Coates.

Beth currently lives in the West Country where she spends a great deal of time thinking romantic thoughts while staring out of her window at sheep. (These two actions are unrelated.)

You can find her most days on Twitter as @BethGoodWriter where she occasionally indulges in pointless banter about chocolate making and the Great British Bake Off. Due to a basic inability to say no, she has too many children and not enough money, which means she needs as many readers as she can get.

Social Media Links –

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BethGoodAuthor

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/BethGoodWriter

When the Lights Go Out

by  Mary Kubica

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

Hardcover: 336 pages

Publisher: Park Row; Original edition (September 4, 2018)

A woman is forced to question her own identity in this riveting and emotionally charged thriller by the blockbuster bestselling author of The Good Girl, Mary Kubica 

Jessie Sloane is on the path to rebuilding her life after years of caring for her ailing mother. She rents a new apartment and applies for college. But when the college informs her that her social security number has raised a red flag, Jessie discovers a shocking detail that causes her to doubt everything she’s ever known.

Finding herself suddenly at the center of a bizarre mystery, Jessie tumbles down a rabbit hole, which is only exacerbated by grief and a relentless lack of sleep. As days pass and the insomnia worsens, it plays with Jessie’s mind. Her judgment is blurred, her thoughts are hampered by fatigue. Jessie begins to see things until she can no longer tell the difference between what’s real and what she’s only imagined.

Meanwhile, twenty years earlier and two hundred and fifty miles away, another woman’s split-second decision may hold the key to Jessie’s secret past. Has Jessie’s whole life been a lie or have her delusions gotten the best of her?

“Kubica brilliantly unravels the lives of two women in this tense and haunting tale of identity and deceit. WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT will keep you questioning everything-and everyone-until the riveting conclusion. A twisty, captivating, edge-of-your-seat read.” –Megan Miranda, New York Times bestselling author of ALL THE MISSING GIRLS

My Rating:

Favorite Quotes:

I told her that we’re trying. Trying to have a child, trying to start a family. An odd choice of words for creating a baby, if you ask me. Trying is how one learns to ride a bike. To knit, to sew. To write poetry.

The frustration over my identity boils inside me until I feel myself begin to lose it. All this red tape preventing me from getting what I need, from proving who I am. I’m starting to question it myself. Am I still me?

It’s an insidious way to die, I think, from lack of sleep because there is nothing gory about it, no blood, no guts, and yet the effects are just as gruesome. I know because I’m living it. As the sun begins to rise on the eleventh day, it’s only a matter of time until I die. This is what it feels like knowing you’re about to die.

My Review:

What clever sleight of hand, and I totally fell for it. This engrossing book was a minefield of intriguing and heart squeezing storylines. Ms. Kubica’s excellent storytelling was expertly woven with flawless word choices, bringing forth vivid and sharp visuals and several instances of chicken skin.   I was quickly under the influence of her powerful word voodoo and keenly felt the characters’ frustrations, discomforts, confusion, and fatigue.

Written from a dual POV, the two main characters and narrators were difficult to hold in positive regard, as they were often exasperating and repellent. Jessie was struggling with a conundrum while she was also not the brightest bulb in the pack. And as Jessie was suffered from extreme sleep deprivation and experiencing hallucinations, her observations and thoughts were untrustworthy and increasingly erratic; while her mental and physical decline and descent into madness were fascinating. I steadily grew to despise the character of Eden and found her obsessive and all-consuming drive to reproduce to be horrendously irresponsible and selfish.

Ms. Kubica’s well-crafted storylines and writing style were compelling yet taut with tension and angst. I was so caught up in their apprehensions that I am in dire need of a relaxing spa day. Until I can work one of those into my schedule, the next best plan would be a generous scoop of Ben and Jerry’s while trolling my TBR in search of an amusing comedy and lighter fare for my next read.

About Mary Kubica

Mary Kubica is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of THE GOOD GIRL and PRETTY BABY.  She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, in History and American Literature. She lives outside of Chicago with her husband and two children and enjoys photography, gardening and caring for the animals at a local shelter.

.

Connect with Mary

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram