Review: The Little Teashop on Main by Jodi Thomas – with Giveaway

15 May 2019 by Melissa

About the book, The Little Teashop on Main

Genre: Contemporary Literary Fiction / Coming of Age
Publisher: HQN
Publication Date: May 7, 2019
Number of Pages: 336 pages
Scroll down for the giveaway!

A rainy-day ritual—a tea party between three little girls—becomes the framework of not only their friendship, but their lives.

Blonde, curly-haired Zoe is openhearted, kind and free-spirited, and dreams of becoming a famous actor in New York City. Shy Emily struggles with mental health but has the heart and soul of a writer. And Shannon—tall, athletic, strong—has a deep sense of loyalty that will serve her well when she heads off to military college.

As Zoe, Emily, and Shannon grow into women—forging careers, following dreams, and finding love—they’ll learn that life doesn’t always unfold the way they want it to, but through it all, the one constant is each other and their regular tea parties. And when the unthinkable happens, the girls must come together to face the greatest test of all.

A deeply moving novel about the family that raises us, the hearts that nurture us, and the great friendships that define our lives.

Praise for The Little Teashop on Main:

“Heart-wrenching as well as heartwarming, the book reflects the experiences of these seven multifaceted and compelling characters as they journey through challenging years together.” — NY Journal of Books

“A comforting treasure for regular Thomas readers who enjoy the easy flow of her writing, a little steamy romance to spice things up, and the development of vulnerable, realistic characters.” — Booklist

Buy, read, and discuss this book:

Harlequin | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Google Books | Goodreads

About the author, Jodi Thomas

With millions of books in print, Jodi Thomas is both a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over 45 novels and 14 short story collections. Her stories travel through the past and present days of Texas and draw readers from around the world.

In July 2006, Jodi was the 11^th writer to be inducted into the Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame. With five RITA’s to her credit, along with National Readers’ Choice Awards and Booksellers’ Best Awards, Thomas has proven her skill as a master storyteller.

Honored in 2002 as a Distinguished Alumni by Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, Thomas enjoys interacting with students at West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas, where she currently serves as Writer in Residence.

When not working on a novel, or inspiring students to pursue writing careers, Thomas enjoys traveling with her husband, renovating an historic home, and “checking up” on their grown sons and four grandchildren.

Connect with Jodi:

My Thoughts

In The Little Teashop on Main, Jodi Thomas invites us to visit Laurel Springs, Texas, where most people don’t bother to lock their doors, and three little girls who meet at a princess-themed tea party grow into lifelong friends.

Zoe, Emily, and Shannon each represent a different kind of femininity, but remain strong women as well. Zoe is wild and free-spirited, determined to pursue a stage career. Emily is quiet and shy, a voracious reader, with mental health issues that have her flirting with death a little too closely. Shannon is the only child of a single father – a military man who raises her to be fiercely independent. Separately, each woman is interesting and each has a compelling story, but together, they form a trio of friendship, loyalty, and chosen family that is inspiring.

With three primary characters, plus Zoe’s mother Alex, Shannon’s father Mack, the girls’ childhood friend Jack, and Emily’s newer friend Fuller, Thomas has a lot of perspectives to juggle, but she doesn’t just weave a colorful tapestry, she braids together a comfortable rag rug that makes you want to toss it on the floor in front of the fire, and sprawl on it with books and tea and a dog for hours on end.

What I really loved was that Alex’s bakery, which eventually morphs into the eponymous Teashop, is a character in its own right. The baked goods that come out of the ovens there – holiday pies, thumbprint cookies, scones, and even cookies shaped like books for a bookstore event – feature in the plot, adding a hint of sweetness and comfort just when they’re needed most.

If a cup of coffee or tea and a sweet treat is comfort for the stomach, this novel is comfort for the mind. Through all the family trials and drama associated with girls growing into women, and single parents learning to find their own lives after their children are grown, author Thomas never overwhelms us with angst, but keeps her story emotionally truthful.

This book is a charming, delightful read, and Laurel Springs is one of those fictional towns I’d love to visit again.

Goes well with Nepali Breakfast Tea (a chai blend) and almond sugar cookies.

Giveaway

ONE PRINT COPY OF MORNINGS ON MAIN,

THE FIRST LAUREL SPRINGS BOOK

May 8-18, 2019

(US ONLY)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Stops for The Little Teashop on Main

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Cover Reveal: The Road to Cromer Pier by Martin Gore

10 May 2019 by Melissa

About the book, The Road to Cromer Pier

Janet’s first love arrives out of the blue after forty years. Those were simpler times for them both. Sunny childhood beach holidays, fish and chips and big copper pennies clunking into one armed bandits.

The Wells family has run the Cromer Pier Summertime Special Show for generations. But it’s now 2009 and the recession is biting hard. Owner Janet Wells and daughter Karen are facing an uncertain future. The show must go on, and Janet gambles on a fading talent show star. But both the star and the other cast members have their demons. This is a story of love, loyalty and luvvies. The road to Cromer Pier might be the end of their careers, or it might just be a new beginning.

Pre-order this book:

Amazon (US) | Amazon (UK)

About the author, Martin Gore

I am a 61 year old Accountant who semi-retired to explore my love of creative writing. In my career I held Board level jobs for over twenty five years, in private, public and third sector organisations. I was born in Coventry, a city then dominated by the car industry and high volume manufacturing. Jaguar, Triumph, Talbot, Rolls Royce, Courtaulds, Massey Ferguson were the major employers, to name but a few.

When I was nine year’s old I told my long suffering mother that as I liked English composition and drama I was going to be a Playwright. She told me that I should work hard at school and get a proper job. She was right of course.

I started as an Office Junior at Jaguar in 1973 at eleven pounds sixty four a week. I thus grew up in the strike torn, class divided seventies. My first career ended in 2015, when I semi retired as Director of Corporate services at Humberside Probation. My second career, as a Non Executive Director, is great as it has allowed me free time to travel and indulge my passion for writing, both in novels and for theatre.

The opportunity to rekindle my interest in writing came in 2009, when I wrote my first pantomime, Cinderella, for my home group, the Walkington Pantomime Players. I have now written eight. I love theatre, particularly musical theatre, and completed the Hull Truck Theatre Playwrite course in 2010. My first play, a comedy called He’s Behind You, had its first highly successful showing in January 2016, so I intend to move forward in all three creative areas.

Pen Pals was my first novel, but a second, The Road to Cromer Pier, will be released in the Summer of 2019.

I’m an old fashioned writer I guess. I want you to laugh and to cry. I want you to believe in my characters, and feel that my stories have a beginning, a middle, and a satisfactory ending.

Connect with Martin:

Twitter | Facebook

Review: You, Me and the Sea, by Meg Donohue

8 May 2019 by Melissa

About the book, You, Me, and the Sea

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow (May 7, 2019)

From the USA Today bestselling author of All the Summer Girlsand Dog Crazy comes a spellbinding and suspenseful tale inspired by Wuthering Heights that illuminates the ways in which hope—and even magic—can blossom in the darkest of places.

To find her way, she must abandon everything she loves…

As a child, Merrow Shawe believes she is born of the sea: strong, joyous, and wild. Her beloved home is Horseshoe Cliff, a small farm on the coast of Northern California where she spends her days exploring fog-cloaked bluffs, swimming in the cove, and basking in the light of golden sunsets as her father entertains her with fantastical stories. It is an enchanting childhood, but it is not without hardship—the mystery of Merrow’s mother’s death haunts her, as does the increasingly senseless cruelty of her older brother, Bear.

Then, like sea glass carried from a distant land, Amir arrives in Merrow’s life. He’s been tossed about from India to New York City and now to Horseshoe Cliff, to stay with her family. Merrow is immediately drawn to his spirit, his passion, and his resilience in the face of Bear’s viciousness. Together they embrace their love of the sea, and their growing love for each other.

But the ocean holds secrets in its darkest depths. When tragedy strikes, Merrow is forced to question whether Amir is really the person she believed him to be. In order to escape the danger she finds herself in and find her own path forward, she must let go of the only home she’s ever known, and the only boy she’s ever loved….

Buy, read, and discuss this book:

HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

About the author, Meg Donohue

Meg Donohue is the USA Today bestselling author of How to Eat a Cupcake, All the Summer Girls, and Dog Crazy. She has an MFA in creative writing from Columbia University and a BA in comparative literature from Dartmouth College. Born and raised in Philadelphia, she now lives in San Francisco with her husband, three children, and dog.

Connect with Meg:

Find out more at her website, and connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

My Thoughts

Despite it’s wild coastal setting, You, Me, and the Sea is not a “beach book” in the sense of a light summer read. Rather, it’s a complex family drama that tackles serious subjects like death, loss, and abuse, and balances them with an unconventional coming-of-age story and a touch of heartfelt romance.

Protagonist Merrow seems like a broken bird, at times, suffering torture at the hands of her older brother Bear, to the point where you want to shake her and make her go get help, though when her father brings home a friend’s adopted (and now-orphaned) son, Amir, she at least gains a friend and an ally.

Bear, Amir, caring neighbor Rei, and later the Langford family, all play their parts, filling out the chorus of Merrow’s life, but this novel is really her story, from tortured waif, to successful teacher and partner, as she struggles to find her own truth and make sense of her own life.

Early in the novel, Merrow tells us that her father once shared that “The past never leaves you. It just changes shape.” Like the sea Merrow is so connected to, her past, her present, and her future continually change shape through this wonderful, powerfully written story.

Goes well with hot chocolate and a butter croissant.

Tour Stops for You, Me, and the Sea

Instagram Features

Tuesday, May 7th: Instagram: @jennsbookvibes

Wednesday, May 8th: Instagram: @beauty_andthebook_

Thursday, May 9th: Instagram: @somekindofalibrary

Friday, May 10th: Instagram: @readingwithmere

Saturday, May 11th: Instagram: @giuliland

Sunday, May 12th: Instagram: @book.hang.o.ver

Monday, May 13th: Instagram: @writersdream

Review Stops

Tuesday, May 7th: A Chick Who Reads

Wednesday, May 8th: Bibliotica

Thursday, May 9th: Instagram: @beritaudiokilledthebookmark

Friday, May 10th: Iwriteinbooks’s blog

Monday, May 13th: Read Like a Mother

Tuesday, May 14th: Jennifer ~ Tar Heel Reader

Wednesday, May 15th: Stranded in Chaos

Thursday, May 16th: Brooke’s Books and Brews

Friday, May 17th: Books and Bindings

Tuesday, May 21st: Always With a Book

Wednesday, May 22nd: Girl Who Reads

Review: The Shadow Writer by Eliza Maxwell – with Giveaway

2 May 2019 by Melissa

About the book, The Shadow Writer

Genre: Psychological Suspense / Domestic Thriller
Publisher: Lake Union Press
Date of Publication: May 1, 2019
Number of Pages: 348
Scroll down for the giveaway!

Every writer has a story. Some are deadlier than others.

Aspiring author Graye Templeton will do anything to escape the horrific childhood crime that haunts her. After a life lived in shadows, she’s accepted a new job as protégé to Laura West, influential book blogger and wife of an acclaimed novelist. Laura’s connections could make Graye’s publishing dreams a reality. But there’s more to Laura than meets the eye.

Behind the veneer of a charmed life, Laura’s marriage is collapsing. Her once-lauded husband is descending into alcoholism and ruin and bringing Laura nearer to the edge.

As the two women form a bond that seems meant to be, long-buried secrets claw their way into the present, and the line between friendship and obsession begins to blur, forcing each to decide where her loyalties lie. Running from the past is a dangerous game, and the loser could end up dead.

Buy, read, and discuss this book:

AMAZON | MURDER BY THE BOOK | BARNES AND NOBLE | GOODREADS

About the Author, Eliza Maxwell

Eliza Maxwell lives in Texas with her ever-patient husband and two kids. She’s an artist and writer, an introvert, and a British cop drama addict. She loves nothing more than to hear from readers.

Connect with Eliza:

Goodreads | Facebook | BookBub | Website

My Thoughts

It’s been a stormy spring here in my part of Texas, and for me, nothing goes better with gray rainy days, or nights full of crashing thunder and flashing lightning than a compelling mystery or a good thriller. Eliza Maxwell’s The Shadow Writer gave me the perfect storm setting mystery and suspense against a literary background and giving me strong female protagonists, as well.

Much of the novel is told from the point of view of Graye Templeton, a young woman whom we initially meet when she accidentally spills coffee on the woman who later becomes the novel’s second lead, Laura West. The two women are a study in contrasts: Graye, a grad student who is also a TA for a successful author and visiting professor is (apparently) introverted, unassuming, quiet, and helpful. Laura is warm, extroverted, has a successful career and has no trouble being assertive in her work, though her marriage is clearly not going well.

As the story progresses the third member of the novel’s core characters appears – David West – Graye’s boss, and Laura’s husband.

But relationships and truths shift and turn in this novel, and just when you think you understand the dynamics and desires of all the players another voice is added to the choir, another perspective is shown, and another buried truth is brought to the surface.

Maxwell handles all the plot twists with aplomb, weaving together Graye’s history, Laura’s marital woes, David’s inadequacies, and even the story-within-the-story – the novel that Gray is writing under a nom de plume. (I confess, I almost wish she would publish that book as a companion novel, because it intrigued me so.)

What I really liked what this novel was more than just a thriller or mystery, it also had two very strong themes: identity and voice. The first was much more literal – characters used pen names and masked who they were, but the other was present as a metaphor as well as in a more literal form: Graye’s novel was her way of speaking her truth, but Laura’s ability to identify ‘talent’ was also a way of giving people their voices, and in the end, she also found a new timbre for her own.

Goes well with a steaming bowl of chili and a wedge of cornbread, stormy weather optional.

Giveaway

TWO WINNERS: Signed Copy + $25 Amazon Gift Card

ONE WINNER: Signed Copy

APRIL 30-MAY 10, 2019

(U.S. Only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Stops for The Shadow Writer

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Review: The Wonder of Lost Causes by Nick Trout

1 May 2019 by Melissa

About the book, The Wonder of Lost Causes

• Hardcover: 464 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow (April 30, 2019)

In this unforgettable novel, perfect for fans of An Unexpected Grace and A Dog’s Way Home, a single mom and her chronically ill child receive a valuable lesson from an unlikely source—a very special dog who unexpectedly enters their lives and shows them that one person’s lost cause can be another’s greatest gift . . .

Dr. Kate Blunt will do anything for her son, Jasper. Well, almost anything. Since Jasper has the incurable lung disease cystic fibrosis, Kate’s always told him he couldn’t get a dog. It’s a tough call, but she’s a single mom taking care of a kid who fights for every breath he takes. The daily medical routine that keeps Jasper alive is complicated enough. Worse still, Kate’s personal resolve runs contrary to her work as the veterinarian in charge of a Cape Cod animal shelter, where she is on a mission to find forever homes for dogs in desperate need.

The scarred, mistreated wreck of a dog that turns up doesn’t stand a chance. Named Whistler, he’s too old, too ugly. But the dog forms an instantaneous bond with Jasper. Whistler never makes a sound, yet he speaks to Jasper in a myriad of mysterious ways. The clock’s ticking, the dog’s future hangs in the balance, and Jasper would do anything to find him a home; but Whistler has chosen them—for a reason.

Buy, read, and discuss this book:

HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

About the author, Nick Trout

Dr. Nick Trout works full-time as a staff surgeon at the prestigious Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston. He is the author of five previous books, including the New York Times bestseller Tell Me Where It Hurts, and his writing has been translated into sixteen different languages. He lives in Massachusetts with his wife, Kathy; their daughter, Emily; their adopted labradoodle, Thai; and Emily’s service dog, a black Labrador named Bella.

Connect with Nick:

Find out more about him at his website.

My Thoughts

A child with cystic fibrosis, a mother who wants her son to live a long and healthy life, a dog who desperately needs a home – these are the central figures of The Wonder of Lost Causes but while each can be perceived as such at the beginning of the story, by the end, it’s clear that each of these three beings is exactly who and what they’re meant to be.

Jasper – whom we meet as a young boy – struggles to breathe because of his disease. A family friend is an adult survivor of this illness -one of the oldest survivors of it, in fact – and I’ve heard him describe the sensation of drowning inside your own body that author Trout uses with Jasper so vividly.

Jasper’s mother, Kate Blunt, is a shelter veterinarian who takes in hard luck cases and rehomes them. Sure, Jasper always wants to take them home, but they can’t – they live in a no-pets-allowed apartment. (This is the only part of the story that didn’t ring true for me. I have four dogs, all rescues, and work in rescue, and every rescuer, every shelter worker, every vet and vet tech I know has multiple animals. Even the local animal control officers I know will “hide” dogs in the system if they think it will buy them time.) Still, I did believe that she wanted the best for her son. And having a child with a chronic illness does change the way you see the world.

Then there’s Whistler – that’s his name, we’re told, because he told Jasper so – the dog. He’s a hard luck case, abandoned by one loving owner, then either run away or given up by a string of others… I’ve met dogs like this, and usually, if they’re lucky, they find the right person, finally, to give them that final forever home.

These three beings come together over the course of the novel, in a story that is heart-wrenching, heartwarming, frustrating, and fabulous, all by turns.

Author Trout excels at writing the boy-and-dog interactions, especially, and I wanted to reach through the screen and hug both. Kate made be bristle a lot, but I finally warmed to her, understanding her fear and her hopes. As I said, her intentions were always the best.

At it’s heart, this isn’t a disease story or a vet story or an animal story, it’s a family story, and this family, is both familiar and unique.

But it’s also an emotionally satisfying one, and while there are sad moments, the tears are earned. “When you cry about losing a dog,” an adult Jasper tells another child late in the novel, “it means the dog did its job.” Like the dogs we all love, this novel does its job, and does it brilliantly.

Goes well with a hot dog a fries that you sneak a few of to your dog.