BookAwards.com
Award-Winning Books from Today's Best Authors
A Free Resource for Book Lovers, Authors, Agents, Publishers and Journalists
Recommend this book:
Desperately Ever After
Book One
Laura Kenyon
2018 Finalist
Kindle Edition
Check current price
Fiction - Chick Lit
Reviewed By Samantha March for Readers' Favorite
LOL! I really don’t know how else to start off this review, because what a fun and humorous concept for a novel. Laura Kenyon brings us Desperately Ever After, which is book one in the Desperately Ever After Trilogy. Our main characters are Belle, Cinderella, Rapunzel, Snow White, Dawn and Penelopea – yes, our beloved Disney princesses. But this is the real world for the princesses – albeit some magical aspects, of course – but the ladies deal with turning thirty, cheating husbands, and the quest to find true love. And let’s not forget those pesky mothers-in-law either! It’s life after happily ever after…
I loved the concept for Desperately Ever After. I’m such a fan of Disney princesses – Belle and Jasmine being my top two, personally – so this was such a hoot to read. Of course, I would have hoped the ladies had better luck than the majority of the characters in here, but I guess that’s reality, huh? The story lines were serious yet humorous, magical yet real, and overall I had a pretty fun time reading book one. I will say that sometimes I actually got the characters mixed up – Penelopea and Rapunzel in particular – because there is definitely is a lot happening and all at once. The middle slowed down just slightly for me, but I was happy to see the ending pick it back up again and hold my interest. This is the first book in a trilogy and I would definitely read the other two as well!
LOL! I really don’t know how else to start off this review, because what a fun and humorous concept for a novel. Laura Kenyon brings us Desperately Ever After, which is book one in the Desperately Ever After Trilogy. Our main characters are Belle, Cinderella, Rapunzel, Snow White, Dawn and Penelopea – yes, our beloved Disney princesses. But this is the real world for the princesses – albeit some magical aspects, of course – but the ladies deal with turning thirty, cheating husbands, and the quest to find true love. And let’s not forget those pesky mothers-in-law either! It’s life after happily ever after…
I loved the concept for Desperately Ever After. I’m such a fan of Disney princesses – Belle and Jasmine being my top two, personally – so this was such a hoot to read. Of course, I would have hoped the ladies had better luck than the majority of the characters in here, but I guess that’s reality, huh? The story lines were serious yet humorous, magical yet real, and overall I had a pretty fun time reading book one. I will say that sometimes I actually got the characters mixed up – Penelopea and Rapunzel in particular – because there is definitely is a lot happening and all at once. The middle slowed down just slightly for me, but I was happy to see the ending pick it back up again and hold my interest. This is the first book in a trilogy and I would definitely read the other two as well!
Recommend this book:
Remember When
Lindsay Detwiler
2018 Honorable Mention
Kindle Edition
Check current price
Fiction - Chick Lit
Reviewed By Trudi LoPreto for Readers' Favorite
As Jess and Todd are returning home, they are on a dark and untraveled road. It is a cold, snowy, icy night; the car tumbles down a cliff and becomes wedged between two trees. The rest of the story is spent in the freezing car with them. Together they talk about how they met, fell in love, lived their lives so far, and their dreams and hopes for the future. Todd’s leg is hurt and he is in great pain. Jess must be the one to leave the car and try to find a way to survive. As the days pass, their spirits fall and they lovingly say their goodbyes to each other, knowing they have little time and hope of lasting another day. As each moment passes and they get closer and closer to their deaths, all they have left and could hope for was the miracle of being rescued.
Remember When by Lindsay Detwiler is like no book I have read before. It pulled at every single emotion possible. I felt as though I was in the back seat and even though I was in a 95 degree heat wave, I was cold and scared. I could not help but think ‘what if’ my husband and I were in the car; what would our memories be; what would we be saying to each other after over 40 years of marriage? Lindsay Detwiler is a brilliant author who has written a book that cannot help but speak to each and every reader. This is a must-read that will have you crying, laughing and unable to stop reading.
As Jess and Todd are returning home, they are on a dark and untraveled road. It is a cold, snowy, icy night; the car tumbles down a cliff and becomes wedged between two trees. The rest of the story is spent in the freezing car with them. Together they talk about how they met, fell in love, lived their lives so far, and their dreams and hopes for the future. Todd’s leg is hurt and he is in great pain. Jess must be the one to leave the car and try to find a way to survive. As the days pass, their spirits fall and they lovingly say their goodbyes to each other, knowing they have little time and hope of lasting another day. As each moment passes and they get closer and closer to their deaths, all they have left and could hope for was the miracle of being rescued.
Remember When by Lindsay Detwiler is like no book I have read before. It pulled at every single emotion possible. I felt as though I was in the back seat and even though I was in a 95 degree heat wave, I was cold and scared. I could not help but think ‘what if’ my husband and I were in the car; what would our memories be; what would we be saying to each other after over 40 years of marriage? Lindsay Detwiler is a brilliant author who has written a book that cannot help but speak to each and every reader. This is a must-read that will have you crying, laughing and unable to stop reading.
Recommend this book:
The Magic of Cape Disappointment
A Novel
Julie Manthey
2018 Honorable Mention
Kindle Edition
Check current price
Fiction - Chick Lit
Reviewed By Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite
The Magic of Cape Disappointment is a contemporary fiction novel written by Julie Manthey. Kay Baker had escaped Cape Disappointment and the expectations that her family lineage had placed upon her. Yes, she was the great-great-great-granddaughter of Kehlok, the daughter of adventurer Meriwether Lewis and Tamahna, a local native medicine woman. Kay had gone to medical school as her mother had wished, even as she co-majored in art, her true love and passion, and she had finished med school before abandoning that professional goal and turning to art full-time. She loved living in Manhattan and was thrilled to have her own studio there. It was a far cry from the small town life of Ilwaco, Washington where she grew up. When she got a call informing her that her parents had both died in a car crash, however, she dropped everything and rushed home to be there. She would be the only support for her Gran, who was ninety-seven and apt to forget where she was in time, until her brother Lou came to help. Kay’s mom’s last request to her was that she would not put Gran in a nursing home, and Kay was determined to abide by that. Suddenly, New York and her life as she knew it was in the past, and she was back in Ilwaco.
Julie Manthey’s contemporary fiction novel, The Magic of Cape Disappointment, is an intriguing and powerful blend of modern-day life, history and mysticism. I loved learning more about the Cascadia range and Cape Disappointment, and found the author’s treatment of the Clatsup history and legends to be fascinating. Manthey also addresses an issue of concern about elderly care, especially for those with Alzheimer’s or other dementia issues, and the resulting stresses that fall upon the relative who somehow finds themselves in the role of caretaker. I could feel for Kay as she loses everything she had built up for her own life’s goals, even as I loved the synchronicity that had her literally visualizing her future path while still in Manhattan. Manthey’s characters are marvelous; her story rocks on so many levels, and her writing is fluid and a joy to read. The Magic of Cape Disappointment is most highly recommended.
The Magic of Cape Disappointment is a contemporary fiction novel written by Julie Manthey. Kay Baker had escaped Cape Disappointment and the expectations that her family lineage had placed upon her. Yes, she was the great-great-great-granddaughter of Kehlok, the daughter of adventurer Meriwether Lewis and Tamahna, a local native medicine woman. Kay had gone to medical school as her mother had wished, even as she co-majored in art, her true love and passion, and she had finished med school before abandoning that professional goal and turning to art full-time. She loved living in Manhattan and was thrilled to have her own studio there. It was a far cry from the small town life of Ilwaco, Washington where she grew up. When she got a call informing her that her parents had both died in a car crash, however, she dropped everything and rushed home to be there. She would be the only support for her Gran, who was ninety-seven and apt to forget where she was in time, until her brother Lou came to help. Kay’s mom’s last request to her was that she would not put Gran in a nursing home, and Kay was determined to abide by that. Suddenly, New York and her life as she knew it was in the past, and she was back in Ilwaco.
Julie Manthey’s contemporary fiction novel, The Magic of Cape Disappointment, is an intriguing and powerful blend of modern-day life, history and mysticism. I loved learning more about the Cascadia range and Cape Disappointment, and found the author’s treatment of the Clatsup history and legends to be fascinating. Manthey also addresses an issue of concern about elderly care, especially for those with Alzheimer’s or other dementia issues, and the resulting stresses that fall upon the relative who somehow finds themselves in the role of caretaker. I could feel for Kay as she loses everything she had built up for her own life’s goals, even as I loved the synchronicity that had her literally visualizing her future path while still in Manhattan. Manthey’s characters are marvelous; her story rocks on so many levels, and her writing is fluid and a joy to read. The Magic of Cape Disappointment is most highly recommended.
Recommend this book:
The Royal Treatment
A Crown Jewels Romantic Comedy, Book 1
Melanie Summers, MJ Summers
2018 Bronze Medal
Kindle Edition
Check current price
Fiction - Chick Lit
Reviewed By Grant Leishman for Readers' Favorite
A fun frolic down Fantasy Lane is the best way I think I could possibly describe The Royal Treatment by Melanie Summers. This is an out and out funny, chick-lit read with no pretensions of being anything else. Tessa Sharpe, a twenty-eight-year-old former journalist, has adopted the role of Royal Watchdog for the Kingdom of Avonia. Her blogs on the Royal Family and their excesses are grist to the mill of the group of Avonian citizens who consider the royals to be an outdated and unnecessary institution in the twenty-first century. Facing a potential referendum to strip the royals of their powers, Crown Prince Arthur invites Tessa to spend two months at the palace, to live with the royals and to see what it is they really do to help the people of Avonia. What follows is a hilarious romp filled with palace intrigue and, of course, the never-ending question (will they do it?).
I have read so many books over the years that focus on the very worst of the human condition, so it is wonderful, from time to time, to come across a story so frivolous and so much fun as The Royal Treatment. There are few books that can make me chuckle, let alone belly laugh, and yet Summers managed to draw that out of me in this fun tale. It is genuinely funny and yet still has something important to say, on a higher level. Obviously Avonia is a mythical kingdom, but the comparisons can well be made to other European countries still supporting a monarchy, even if that monarchy is merely ceremonial. Many of the issues faced by the Avonian monarchy, and indeed the perception of that monarchy to the citizens, can draw a direct parallel to other monarchies, such as the British. I really enjoyed this book and congratulate Summers on a fine effort. The Royal Treatment is a wonderful distraction from a world where there is much too much angst and seriousness.
A fun frolic down Fantasy Lane is the best way I think I could possibly describe The Royal Treatment by Melanie Summers. This is an out and out funny, chick-lit read with no pretensions of being anything else. Tessa Sharpe, a twenty-eight-year-old former journalist, has adopted the role of Royal Watchdog for the Kingdom of Avonia. Her blogs on the Royal Family and their excesses are grist to the mill of the group of Avonian citizens who consider the royals to be an outdated and unnecessary institution in the twenty-first century. Facing a potential referendum to strip the royals of their powers, Crown Prince Arthur invites Tessa to spend two months at the palace, to live with the royals and to see what it is they really do to help the people of Avonia. What follows is a hilarious romp filled with palace intrigue and, of course, the never-ending question (will they do it?).
I have read so many books over the years that focus on the very worst of the human condition, so it is wonderful, from time to time, to come across a story so frivolous and so much fun as The Royal Treatment. There are few books that can make me chuckle, let alone belly laugh, and yet Summers managed to draw that out of me in this fun tale. It is genuinely funny and yet still has something important to say, on a higher level. Obviously Avonia is a mythical kingdom, but the comparisons can well be made to other European countries still supporting a monarchy, even if that monarchy is merely ceremonial. Many of the issues faced by the Avonian monarchy, and indeed the perception of that monarchy to the citizens, can draw a direct parallel to other monarchies, such as the British. I really enjoyed this book and congratulate Summers on a fine effort. The Royal Treatment is a wonderful distraction from a world where there is much too much angst and seriousness.
Recommend this book:
Seeds of Intention
Andrea Thome
2018 Silver Medal
Kindle Edition
Check current price
Fiction - Chick Lit
Reviewed By Divine Zape for Readers' Favorite
Seeds of Intention by Andrea Thome is a well-crafted contemporary romance with great characters and a beautiful setting. After his boss and owner of one of the famous resorts in the country suffers a stroke, Garrett Oliver finds himself being groomed to become the master gardener. Things just seem to fall into place for him and taking his long-distance relationship with his college sweetheart to the next level seems possible now. Heartbroken, Willow Armstrong has just returned to Knoxville to take care of her ailing father when she lands the job at the resort. She would be Garrett’s boss. These two souls are bound together by their work, but as they work together an undeniable attraction begins to develop between them. The reader watches them as the intensity in their attraction for each other grows. The question is: can Garrett forget the love of his life for his boss?
Realistic and intelligently plotted, Seeds of Intention takes the reader on a ride into the inner workings of the hearts of the characters. The setting is colorful, captured in vivid prose and powerful descriptions, from the interior décor of the resort to the surrounding beauty of the Smoky Mountains. Readers will marvel at the natural beauty of Walland, Tennessee, and at the images the author offers them. The narrative voice is strong and it grabs the reader’s interest from the very beginning. Andrea Thome has a great gift for character and even though I never read the first book in the series, it wasn’t hard for me to connect with the characters and to feel like part of their world. Great pacing, compelling characters, and masterly handling of themes!
Seeds of Intention by Andrea Thome is a well-crafted contemporary romance with great characters and a beautiful setting. After his boss and owner of one of the famous resorts in the country suffers a stroke, Garrett Oliver finds himself being groomed to become the master gardener. Things just seem to fall into place for him and taking his long-distance relationship with his college sweetheart to the next level seems possible now. Heartbroken, Willow Armstrong has just returned to Knoxville to take care of her ailing father when she lands the job at the resort. She would be Garrett’s boss. These two souls are bound together by their work, but as they work together an undeniable attraction begins to develop between them. The reader watches them as the intensity in their attraction for each other grows. The question is: can Garrett forget the love of his life for his boss?
Realistic and intelligently plotted, Seeds of Intention takes the reader on a ride into the inner workings of the hearts of the characters. The setting is colorful, captured in vivid prose and powerful descriptions, from the interior décor of the resort to the surrounding beauty of the Smoky Mountains. Readers will marvel at the natural beauty of Walland, Tennessee, and at the images the author offers them. The narrative voice is strong and it grabs the reader’s interest from the very beginning. Andrea Thome has a great gift for character and even though I never read the first book in the series, it wasn’t hard for me to connect with the characters and to feel like part of their world. Great pacing, compelling characters, and masterly handling of themes!
Recommend this book:
The Summer of New Beginnings
Bette Lee Crosby
2018 Gold Medal
Kindle Edition
Check current price
Fiction - Chick Lit
Reviewed By Lisa McCombs for Readers' Favorite
Upon the death of George Briggs, Meghan’s plans to attend Grady College of Journalism and fulfill her dream of becoming a writer are hastily set aside so she can take over her father’s business of running the Snip 'N' Save Magazine. Just one year. Meghan decides to postpone her college plans in order to keep her father’s magazine up and running. But, when push comes to shove, she cannot leave the magazine unattended. Especially with the drama of younger sister Tracy’s renegade romance with the dark and irresponsible Dominic. Tracy’s devotion to her lover puts Meghan in the precarious position of playing buffer between mother and daughter. As her plight serves to intensify the loss of her father, Meghan realizes that she is where she needs to be: daughter, big sister, and strong role model in the lives of all she loves.
The Summer of New Beginnings: The Magnolia Grove Series, Book One by Bette Lee Crosby contains a realistic amount of family conflict with just the right amount of drama to place this novel in the genre of clean romance and wholesome family plot format. Bette Lee Crosby, USA Today bestselling author of eighteen novels, enchants the reader with her latest installment of a story of hope. The tasteful dialogue and moral lessons presented in The Summer of New Beginnings leave the reader wanting more. I particularly liked the addition of first person character insights in the insertion of character thoughts and reactions to the story plot line. I really enjoyed this novel.
Upon the death of George Briggs, Meghan’s plans to attend Grady College of Journalism and fulfill her dream of becoming a writer are hastily set aside so she can take over her father’s business of running the Snip 'N' Save Magazine. Just one year. Meghan decides to postpone her college plans in order to keep her father’s magazine up and running. But, when push comes to shove, she cannot leave the magazine unattended. Especially with the drama of younger sister Tracy’s renegade romance with the dark and irresponsible Dominic. Tracy’s devotion to her lover puts Meghan in the precarious position of playing buffer between mother and daughter. As her plight serves to intensify the loss of her father, Meghan realizes that she is where she needs to be: daughter, big sister, and strong role model in the lives of all she loves.
The Summer of New Beginnings: The Magnolia Grove Series, Book One by Bette Lee Crosby contains a realistic amount of family conflict with just the right amount of drama to place this novel in the genre of clean romance and wholesome family plot format. Bette Lee Crosby, USA Today bestselling author of eighteen novels, enchants the reader with her latest installment of a story of hope. The tasteful dialogue and moral lessons presented in The Summer of New Beginnings leave the reader wanting more. I particularly liked the addition of first person character insights in the insertion of character thoughts and reactions to the story plot line. I really enjoyed this novel.
Recommend this book:
Groupie
Volume one
Susan Daugherty
2017 Silver Medal
Kindle Edition
Check current price
Fiction - Chick Lit
Reviewed By Maureen Dangarembizi for Readers' Favorite
Groupie by Susan Daugherty revolves around a developing romance between Dr Lexie Travis and music sensation Jack Morgan. Lexie doesn't appreciate Jack's brand of country music much and has a low opinion of his lifestyle. When Jack has an accident on stage and hurts his leg, Lexie is brought in as his therapist. Turns out Jack Morgan isn't the uncouth womanizer she believed him to be. Their healing sessions bring them closer and Jack is forced to take a good look at his life since his stardom. For Lexie, travelling with Jack on his tour is a dream come true. Jack may just be the man to make Lexie hope again. Just one problem; she didn't believe in true love and Jack is ready to jump all in.
When it comes to exploring a character's emotions, Susan Daugherty hit the nail on the head. I felt the fear, the excitement, and the love between Lexie and Jack. Both characters have been scared by the past and are scared to commit, but as they get to know each other better, their friendship turns into something more meaningful. This book is filled with "awww"-inspiring sweet moments and nail biting suspense (sometimes more than I could take). I especially loved that it still managed to convey the romantic atmosphere without the overblown sex scenes so prevalent in romance books nowadays. The book ends in a cliffhanger, but was totally worth the read. I can't wait to read the conclusion of Lexie and Jack's story in Muse. Fans of Colleen Hoover will definitely enjoy Groupie.
Groupie by Susan Daugherty revolves around a developing romance between Dr Lexie Travis and music sensation Jack Morgan. Lexie doesn't appreciate Jack's brand of country music much and has a low opinion of his lifestyle. When Jack has an accident on stage and hurts his leg, Lexie is brought in as his therapist. Turns out Jack Morgan isn't the uncouth womanizer she believed him to be. Their healing sessions bring them closer and Jack is forced to take a good look at his life since his stardom. For Lexie, travelling with Jack on his tour is a dream come true. Jack may just be the man to make Lexie hope again. Just one problem; she didn't believe in true love and Jack is ready to jump all in.
When it comes to exploring a character's emotions, Susan Daugherty hit the nail on the head. I felt the fear, the excitement, and the love between Lexie and Jack. Both characters have been scared by the past and are scared to commit, but as they get to know each other better, their friendship turns into something more meaningful. This book is filled with "awww"-inspiring sweet moments and nail biting suspense (sometimes more than I could take). I especially loved that it still managed to convey the romantic atmosphere without the overblown sex scenes so prevalent in romance books nowadays. The book ends in a cliffhanger, but was totally worth the read. I can't wait to read the conclusion of Lexie and Jack's story in Muse. Fans of Colleen Hoover will definitely enjoy Groupie.
Recommend this book:
Silver Threads
Bette Lee Crosby
2017 Gold Medal
Kindle Edition
Check current price
Fiction - Chick Lit
Reviewed By Lisa McCombs for Readers' Favorite
“On the day Jennifer Green was born, a pile of stones was placed alongside her scale of life.” The Keeper of the Scales was glad to see into Jennifer’s future: married to Drew Bishop, mother of Brooke. The Bishops were destined to lead a happy, fulfilling life. Unfortunately a similar prognosis was not possible for Tom Coggan. His scale was not balanced; instead, it came crashing down around Jennifer Bishop, dislodging a happy balance that she desperately tried to maintain with a travelling husband and a young child at home. Words could not soothe the pain that Drew and Brooke would face that fateful day Jennifer did not return home from the drug store. Their lives turned a ghastly corner that even the Keeper of the Scales could not control. When Drew is forced to sell his home and relocate miles away to Memory House, he finally sees that his daughter might survive her devastating loss and he could possibly find the hope that his heart would also be repaired.
Silver Threads: Memory House Series Book Five by award winning author Bette Lee Crosby is a fast paced romance of an unusual breed. Although the story line is contemporary, there lies a constant reference to an almost supernatural superior being in control of the characters' destinies. Crosby flawlessly merges two themes in this fifth book of her Memory House series. As the Keeper of the Scales's presence is apparent, this element of fantasy does not interrupt the beauty of a solid love story, sure to stay with you beyond the last page.
“On the day Jennifer Green was born, a pile of stones was placed alongside her scale of life.” The Keeper of the Scales was glad to see into Jennifer’s future: married to Drew Bishop, mother of Brooke. The Bishops were destined to lead a happy, fulfilling life. Unfortunately a similar prognosis was not possible for Tom Coggan. His scale was not balanced; instead, it came crashing down around Jennifer Bishop, dislodging a happy balance that she desperately tried to maintain with a travelling husband and a young child at home. Words could not soothe the pain that Drew and Brooke would face that fateful day Jennifer did not return home from the drug store. Their lives turned a ghastly corner that even the Keeper of the Scales could not control. When Drew is forced to sell his home and relocate miles away to Memory House, he finally sees that his daughter might survive her devastating loss and he could possibly find the hope that his heart would also be repaired.
Silver Threads: Memory House Series Book Five by award winning author Bette Lee Crosby is a fast paced romance of an unusual breed. Although the story line is contemporary, there lies a constant reference to an almost supernatural superior being in control of the characters' destinies. Crosby flawlessly merges two themes in this fifth book of her Memory House series. As the Keeper of the Scales's presence is apparent, this element of fantasy does not interrupt the beauty of a solid love story, sure to stay with you beyond the last page.
Recommend this book:
How to Get Over Your Ex in Ninety Days
Jennifer Peel
2017 Bronze Medal
Kindle Edition
Check current price
Fiction - Chick Lit
Reviewed By Divine Zape for Readers' Favorite
Presley Benson might have thought she’d found the best strategy to move on, but when she meets her ex, now the new Vice Principal at a school where she teaches, things cease to work as she’d planned. Were they really over each other or was their rupture just a getting-to-know-each-other phase of a powerful romance? How to Get Over Your Ex in Ninety Days by Jennifer Peel is a romance that is well-crafted to offer readers great entertainment. Moving on can be more difficult and complicated than many people think and, no matter how beautiful or rocky the relationship has been, one still carries part of someone they have loved with them; the beautiful memories, the hurts, the lies, the betrayals. Walking past all of these can be a huge challenge because the heart learns to attach itself to people that come into one’s life, and letting go can feel like severing a part of one’s person.
When I picked up this book, I thought it would be self-help, but it turned out to be something more than I imagined. How to Get Over Your Ex in Ninety Days is a tantalizing read for fans of modern romance. Narrated in the first person, it is absorbing with a strong story line and a lot of drama. The reader is immersed in a stream of emotions as they explore the characters. The writing is beautiful and the characters as real as they are interesting, well-developed and perfectly carved into their respective roles in the story. Jennifer Peel is a master at leading readers into the complex world of the human heart and emotions, and her book will make for a satisfying read.
Presley Benson might have thought she’d found the best strategy to move on, but when she meets her ex, now the new Vice Principal at a school where she teaches, things cease to work as she’d planned. Were they really over each other or was their rupture just a getting-to-know-each-other phase of a powerful romance? How to Get Over Your Ex in Ninety Days by Jennifer Peel is a romance that is well-crafted to offer readers great entertainment. Moving on can be more difficult and complicated than many people think and, no matter how beautiful or rocky the relationship has been, one still carries part of someone they have loved with them; the beautiful memories, the hurts, the lies, the betrayals. Walking past all of these can be a huge challenge because the heart learns to attach itself to people that come into one’s life, and letting go can feel like severing a part of one’s person.
When I picked up this book, I thought it would be self-help, but it turned out to be something more than I imagined. How to Get Over Your Ex in Ninety Days is a tantalizing read for fans of modern romance. Narrated in the first person, it is absorbing with a strong story line and a lot of drama. The reader is immersed in a stream of emotions as they explore the characters. The writing is beautiful and the characters as real as they are interesting, well-developed and perfectly carved into their respective roles in the story. Jennifer Peel is a master at leading readers into the complex world of the human heart and emotions, and her book will make for a satisfying read.
Recommend this book:
Mixing It Up
Tracie Banister
2017 Bronze Medal
Kindle Edition
Check current price
Fiction - Chick Lit
Reviewed By Anne-Marie Reynolds for Readers' Favorite
Mixing It Up by Tracie Banister is a hilarious tale of one woman’s bid to lead her life as she sees fit. Cecily was born to a well-to-do family, but has disappointed them with her choice of career. She has her own TV show, Serving Romance, where she demonstrates French cuisine and she thought it was successful. Until the network is taken over and shaken up by Devlin Hayes. He wants to change the show and bring it into the present, but his plans don’t sit well with Cecily. She tries hard to get along with her new co-host, Italian chef Dante Marchetti, but they have history and it isn’t a good one. Cecily must fight to keep the integrity of her show intact and finds herself stooping as low as her new boss and her co-host to get what she wants. But is this really where Cecily belongs? Wouldn’t she be better off doing what she loved best elsewhere? And is her boss really “all that” or is it just part of his ploy?
Mixing It Up by Tracie Banister was a fantastic story and is a must-read! It is a funny, sassy, and energetic story with plenty of go in it – I can assure you there are no dead bits here! Ms. Banister has written some incredibly clever, likeable, and interesting characters here and I absolutely loved them all. Each one brought something new to the story, another dimension that just added to the depth and direction the plot was going in. Each character is well developed, especially the main protagonist, Cecily, a woman that I couldn’t help but like. I found myself rooting for her so many times, indignant on her behalf so many times, and cheering for her as well. This isn’t a straightforward tale and you will certainly be taken on a roundabout way to the explosive finale. I absolutely loved this book, it is an addictive read and I will be looking for more books by this wonderful author.
Mixing It Up by Tracie Banister is a hilarious tale of one woman’s bid to lead her life as she sees fit. Cecily was born to a well-to-do family, but has disappointed them with her choice of career. She has her own TV show, Serving Romance, where she demonstrates French cuisine and she thought it was successful. Until the network is taken over and shaken up by Devlin Hayes. He wants to change the show and bring it into the present, but his plans don’t sit well with Cecily. She tries hard to get along with her new co-host, Italian chef Dante Marchetti, but they have history and it isn’t a good one. Cecily must fight to keep the integrity of her show intact and finds herself stooping as low as her new boss and her co-host to get what she wants. But is this really where Cecily belongs? Wouldn’t she be better off doing what she loved best elsewhere? And is her boss really “all that” or is it just part of his ploy?
Mixing It Up by Tracie Banister was a fantastic story and is a must-read! It is a funny, sassy, and energetic story with plenty of go in it – I can assure you there are no dead bits here! Ms. Banister has written some incredibly clever, likeable, and interesting characters here and I absolutely loved them all. Each one brought something new to the story, another dimension that just added to the depth and direction the plot was going in. Each character is well developed, especially the main protagonist, Cecily, a woman that I couldn’t help but like. I found myself rooting for her so many times, indignant on her behalf so many times, and cheering for her as well. This isn’t a straightforward tale and you will certainly be taken on a roundabout way to the explosive finale. I absolutely loved this book, it is an addictive read and I will be looking for more books by this wonderful author.
Contact Author -
