REVIEW: Love Literary Style by Karin Gillespie

Title: Love Literary Style
Author: Karin Gillespie
Publisher: Henery Press
Publication Date: November 2016
Genre: Chick-Lit / Contemporary Romance / Women’s Fiction
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: In the tradition of The Rosie Project and Book Lovers, Love Literary Style is a whip-smart and hilarious novel that pokes fun at the divide between low and high brow fiction. Cat nip for readers who love novels about books.

They say opposites attract, and what could be more opposite than a stuffy literary writer falling for a self-published romance writer? Novelist Aaron Mite meets Georgia peach Laurie Lee at a writers’ colony and mistakenly believes her to be a renowned writer of important fiction. When he discovers she’s a self-published romance author, he’s already fallen in love with her. Aaron thinks genre fiction is an affront to the fiction-writing craft.

He often quotes the essayist, Arthur Krystal who says literary fiction “melts the frozen sea inside of us.” Ironically, Aaron doesn’t seem to realize that he’s emotionally frozen. The vivacious Laurie, lover of flamingo-patterned attire and all things hot pink, is the one person who might be capable of melting him. Love Literary Style is a sparkling romantic comedy which pokes fun at the divide between low and high brow fiction.

My Thoughts: Love Literary Style by new to me author Karin Gillespie introduces the reader to writers Aaron Mite and Laurie Lee, two polar opposites in the literary world. Aaron is a snobbish literary writer who would never stoop to reading, much less supporting, genre fiction. Laurie is a self-published romance writer struggling to find her voice and put it on the page.

I enjoyed the dynamic between these two characters and admired their equally tenacious spirit and dedication to their craft. Outside of the publishing world, these two people would likely never notice one another, much less get together, but they do and it was enjoyable to witness. I tried really hard to dislike Aaron. I found him to be insufferable and arrogant, but once I got to know him, I could see his attitude stemmed from his father who he spent his whole life trying to impress.

Laurie is immediately likable and carries a lot of grief and guilt at losing her husband last year after being married only a short while. Where Aaron is stoic and so serious that you think he has an iron rod up his backside, Laurie is bubbly and effervescent. She is easy to relate to and someone who you could effortlessly call a friend.

I enjoyed the numerous pop culture references to the romance novel tropes and rom-com books and movies peppered throughout this story as well as the nods to classic literary novels like Pride and Prejudice and A Catcher in the Rye.

My Final Verdict: Overall, I found this book to be appealing and recommend it to all readers as a reminder that whether we love literary fiction or genre fiction, reading is fundamental and it’s perfectly acceptable to read what you love or step out of your comfort zone once in a while and try something new.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of Love Literary Style from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: Archer's Voice by Mia Sheridan

Title: Archer’s Voice (Where Love Meets Destiny #1)
Author: Mia Sheridan
Narrator: Kris Koscheski, Emily Durante
Publisher: Forever
Publication Date: August 2022
Genre: Contemporary Romance / Women’s Fiction
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: When Bree Prescott arrives in the sleepy, lakeside town of Pelion, Maine, she hopes against hope that this is the place where she will finally find the peace she so desperately seeks. On her first day there, her life collides with Archer Hale, an isolated man who holds a secret agony of his own. A man no one else sees.

Archer's Voice is the story of a woman chained to the memory of one horrifying night and the man whose love is the key to her freedom. It is the story of a silent man who lives with an excruciating wound and the woman who helps him find his voice. It is the story of suffering, fate, and the transformative power of love.

My Thoughts: I enjoyed this story about a woman who is trying to rebuild her life after her father is murdered and a man who has endured horrific torture at the hands of the people he should have received nothing but unconditional love. Bree and Archer are so damaged but yet manage to find each other and let down their walls so that love can come in.

After losing his parents as a child and nearly dying himself, Archer has spent his years unable to vocalize. He taught himself sign language but the majority of the residents in his hometown go out of their way to avoid him, never mind trying to communicate with him. That is, until Bree Prescott arrives in town. After a chance meeting, she is determined to get to know this quiet man and understand his situation, hoping that it will take her mind off the horror of seeing her father murdered at the hands of a man who almost murdered her.

I chose the audiobook format of this story and enjoyed the narration performed by Kris Koscheski and Emily Durante. They provide the perfect blend of emotion and tension so the reader is given a good understanding of who these characters are. I found it easy to like and relate to Bree and Archer and the supporting characters also add a good dynamic to the story.

Unfortunately, I didn’t love this story. I felt that almost two-thirds of the book was unnecessary filler that didn’t drive the story forward. Additionally, a major event occurs in the last thirty minutes that pulled me completely out of the story and had me so upset that I nearly put the book in the freezer. Fortunately, the story gets wrapped up in a satisfactory conclusion.

My Final Verdict: I think readers all have varying degrees of likes and dislikes when it comes to their choice of book, so even though this book wasn’t a favorite for me, I think it will appeal to some. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy passionate romances with heavy emotional baggage and damaged characters.

REVIEW: The House That Jack Built by Catherine Barry

Title: The House That Jack Built
Author: Catherine Barry
Publisher: Endeavour Press
Publication Date: October 2016
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Buy The Book: Amazon

Description: When life gives you a second chance…

At sixteen years old, Jack Joyce loses her virginity to her brother’s charming and charismatic friend, Matt. She finds the experience an unexpected disappointment and whilst her friends spend their twenties settling into their careers, Jack spends it partying, desperately trying to recreate the youth she felt she should have had.

More than a decade on — living in a tiny flat in Dublin, as a single mother and in a dead-end job — she still dreams of Matt, Thin Lizzy and those days of old. So, bumping into her first love at the point when her future seems its bleakest feels like destiny. Is this Jack’s second chance? Matt may be married, and have kids, but surely divine intervention must count for something? If only Jack can shift some weight and stop drinking, who knows what might happen.

When Matt invites her to join an evening class he's teaching, Jack’s fantasies soar to new heights. She soon finds that he has set her on the first step of a journey that will change her life forever. Only it isn’t quite the journey she had in mind…

My Thoughts: The House That Jack Built by new to me author Catherine Barry introduces the reader to Jacqueline “Jack” Joyce, a woman whose life isn’t going at all the way she had hoped. While her childhood friends have all grown up and settled down into careers and relationships, Jack seems to be on an ever-spiraling descent of hopeless dreams and missed opportunities. When she becomes pregnant, she moves back home to Dublin, but having the added responsibility of a child seems to feed Jack’s resentment.

This story is not all what I was expecting. I was expecting a cute chick-lit type story about a woman who has failed miserably in love, but somehow reconnects with the man she lost her virginity too and before you know it they ride off into the sunset. No, instead, this book gives the reader an in-depth look into the life of a woman who is holding on the glory days of the past and an unplanned pregnancy doesn’t seem to change her outlook. As resentment about the failures in her life increases, she begins over comforting herself with alcohol, a lot of alcohol. Parts of this story were disturbing to read as she takes out her anger and frustration on everyone around her, including her son, David. Growing up as a child of alcoholic parents, this book triggered me on several occasions to the point of tears. My heart broke for David and for the people in Jack’s life who are powerless to help her. My heart also broke for Jack and the pain she suffered in her life and her inability to love herself.

This book is powerful and raw with truth and emotion. Jack is forced to face the mess she has made of her life, admit she’s an alcoholic and that she needs help. The author does an amazing job of bringing Jack to life and the journey she is on is told with complete honesty, brutal at times, but full of the pain Jack is carrying, the reader can’t help but have empathy for her.

My Final Verdict: For a book that I was not expecting, I loved this story. Through the pain and tears I felt and shared with Jack, this story is so worthwhile as everyone is worthy of love and second chances are possible. I highly recommend this story to readers who like stories that give them strong connections to the characters and don’t mind when life isn’t always sunshine and daisies.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of The House That Jack Built from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: Twenty Years Later by Charlie Donlea

Title: Twenty Years Later
Author: Charlie Donlea
Narrator: Vivienne Leheny
Publisher: RB Media
Publication Date: December 2021
Genre: Mystery / Thriller
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: Hiding her own dark past in plain sight, a TV reporter is determined to uncover the truth behind a gruesome murder decades after the investigation was abandoned. But TWENTY YEARS LATER, to understand the present, you need to listen to the past…

Avery Mason, host of American Events, knows the subjects that grab a TV audience’s attention. Her latest story—a murder mystery laced with kinky sex, tragedy, and betrayal—is guaranteed to be ratings gold. New DNA technology has allowed the New York medical examiner’s office to make its first successful identification of a 9/11 victim in years. The twist: the victim, Victoria Ford, had been accused of the gruesome murder of her married lover. In a chilling last phone call to her sister, Victoria begged her to prove her innocence.

Emma Kind has waited twenty years to put her sister to rest, but closure won’t be complete until she can clear Victoria’s name. Alone she’s had no luck, but she’s convinced that Avery’s connections and fame will help. Avery, hoping to negotiate a more lucrative network contract, goes into investigative overdrive. Victoria had been having an affair with a successful novelist, found hanging from the balcony of his Catskills mansion. The rope, the bedroom, and the entire crime scene was covered in Victoria’s DNA.

But the twisted puzzle of Victoria’s private life is just the beginning. And what Avery doesn't realize is that there are other players in the game who are interested in Avery’s own secret past—one she has kept hidden from both the network executives and her television audience. A secret she thought was dead and buried . . .

Accused of a brutal murder, Victoria Ford made a final chilling call from the North Tower on the morning of 9/11. Twenty years ago, no one listened. Today, you will.

My Thoughts: I enjoyed this book much more than the last one by this author. This tale delivers all the twisty, jaw-dropping suspense I look for with this genre. There are so many secrets hidden by many of the characters to be uncovered. The anticipation was keenly felt and I had to backtrack several times just to make sure I was hearing what I thought I heard. My inner monologue was in high gear with a lot of wait, what? and oh, no you didn’t which just added to my enjoyment.

The author does a very good job of balancing the numerous plots going on with these characters so that the reader doesn’t feel lost. The reader is given the details of the past with Victoria Ford and the death of her lover, her being charged with the crime, her death in the North Tower on 9/11 and the voicemail she left for her sister begging for her innocence to be proven, which was quite enthralling. Twenty years after 9/11, Avery Mason is working to feature this story on her news show while dealing with a father who is on the run from the feds for fraud and has reached out to her for help. As she changed her professional name years ago, not a lot of people know who she or her father are, or so she thinks.

This story moves at a great pace, keeping details fresh and concise with enough suspense to keep me engaged and eager for more. The switching between past and present was done smoothly and drove the story forward. The narration of this audiobook was expertly performed by Vivienne Leheny. Her ability to captivate the reader with the perfect blend of emotion and tension adds to the enjoyment of the story.

My Final Verdict: Overall, this book has reminded me that I may not enjoy every book an author writes, but I should always remain receptive to being surprised and this book delivers many surprises. I highly recommend this book to readers who like twisty suspense novels that culminate in shocks you didn’t expect.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of Twenty Years Later from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: The Dragon in the Garden by Erika Gardner

Title: The Dragon in the Garden (The Watcher Rising Series #1)
Author: Erika Gardner
Publisher: Tirgearr Publishing
Publication Date: February 2016
Genre: Fantasy
Buy The Book: Amazon

Description: There is magic beneath the mundane and in The Dragon in the Garden, Siobhan Orsini witnesses it all. No lie can fool her, no glamour or illusion can cloud her Sight. She sees through them all and wishes she could close her eyes. Returning to face her past, Siobhan inherits her grandparents’ house in California’s wine country. She encounters a talking dragon, a hot fallen angel, a demon lord, a Valkyrie, and, oh yes, her ex-boyfriend. And that is just in the first twenty-four hours.

It’s time to find out why she has this power.

Siobhan seeks out the Oracle and learns that only her Sight can help mankind navigate the travails of an ancient war. Our world is the prize in a battle between the dragons, who would defend us, and Lucifer’s fallen angels, who seek to take the Earth for themselves. Using her gift, she will have to make a choice that will decide humanity’s future.

My Thoughts: So I am over here kicking myself in the posterior for waiting so long to read this book. I think I put it off so long because I kept getting a Lord of the Rings vibe and I just wasn’t feeling it. Let me assure you, there is no need to fear as this book was a refreshing breath of air.

Now, I must preface this review by saying I’m not a big fantasy genre reader, which is probably why the LOTR vibes I was getting was not motivating me. Instead, new to me author Erika Gardner delivers a story of a woman who has been gifted with the ability to see and hear the truth from anyone and after she meets a dragon in her grandmother’s garden as a child, everyone in Siobhan’s life with the exception of her brother, Alex and ex-boyfriend, Tim have steered way around her. Let’s face it, telling people you saw a dragon in your grandmother’s garden could see you ending up in a padded room and wearing a jacket that lets you hug yourself.

The reason why Siobhan has this gift and seeing this dragon, who Siobhan has named Daisy, is the bigger deal. Siobhan is the Watcher who was prophesied as the one in who’s hands the fate of humanity lies. Her choices and decisions will determine whether the Fallen angels and demons of Hell will be able to take over Earth and destroy every person. Obviously, Siobhan is going to need a lot of help. In addition to her brother and ex-boyfriend, Siobhan also joins forces with Daisy, Turel, an angel who was banished from Heaven for falling in love with a human woman and a Valkyrie named Nefta who appears to be less than impressed with humans, in general.

This book pulled me in quickly and it was hard for me to look away. The story moves at a quick pace and does a fantastic job of giving the reader a sense of the urgency and time running out before Siobhan and her crew have to face a battle that will have permanent consequences. Amongst the suspense and apprehension these characters are feeling, there are several tongue in cheek humorous moments that lightens the atmosphere and made me laugh.

As of this writing, there are supposed to be two more books in this series, but I cannot confirm if or when they will be available.

My Final Verdict: Overall, this was a story I thoroughly enjoyed and hope to read more by this talented author. I highly recommend this book to fans of the fantasy genre as well as readers who like to be amazed and entertained with otherworldly elements, epic battle scenes, laughter and even romance.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of The Dragon in the Garden from the author in exchange for an honest review.