Hi guys!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers....where it's all books, all the time, even when life gets in the way, as in recent days. *glares at week*
Today, we're back in the game with a blog tour stop via TLC Book Tours starring a Women's Fiction type title that couldn't be more well timed....well, for me anyway. It's got style, it's got sass. It's got...a name that I shall divulge to you right now. ^_^ Without further adieu, today's book of choice and blog tour guest is....
by
Carolyn Dingman
9780062276728
Harper Paperbacks
About the book...
A heartfelt tale of one woman's journey to discover the secrets of her mother's hidden past and confront her own uncertain future, this compelling, emotionally resonant novel about the frustrations of blood ties will appeal to fans of Emily Giffin and Jennifer Weiner.
On the surface, Olivia has it all: a high-powered career, a loving family, and a handsome fiancé. She even seems to be coming to terms with her mother Jane's premature death from cancer. But when Jane's final wish is revealed, Olivia and her elder sister, Georgia, are mystified. Their mother rarely spoke of her rural Southern hometown, and never went back to visit—so why does she want them to return to Huntley, Georgia, to scatter her ashes?
Jane's request offers Olivia a temporary escape from the reality she's long been denying: she hates her "dream" job, and she's not really sure she wants to marry her groom-to-be. With her fourteen-year-old niece, Logan, riding shotgun, she heads south on a summer road trip looking for answers about her mother.
As Olivia gets to know the town's inhabitants, she begins to peel back the secrets of her mother's early life—truths that force her to question her own future. But when Olivia is confronted with a tragedy and finds an opportunity to right a terrible wrong, will it give her the courage to accept her mother's past—and say yes to her own desire to start over?
AMAZON | INDIEBOUND | B & N
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So, how exactly does this book resonate with my current situation? Well, not in the parents have passed and my fiance of "x" many years sprung a date on me that although I should be thrilled about, I'm more like confused. Nope. That is DEFINITELY interesting (and makes for a fabulous read) but my connection is more along the lines of the world falling down around you, choking all the oxygen from the area and NEEDING AN ESCAPE. Though I don't wish the circumstances on anyone, I would SO love to escape as she did right now. Leaving all the crazy behind, just me and a good travel companion (in this case, it's Olivia's niece, Logan), a destination known yet not, meeting new people, making new connections (with a little eyebrow raising) and....uncovering secrets bigger than you ever dreamed. *-* Whoa. Maybe I should rethink this particular opportunity to step into literature....NAH!
Olivia is a great lead. She's level headed and yet this sudden change in her world has her reeling. I loved following her on her journey towards...well, herself. Logan was an AWESOME companion and much more insightful than she might appear. Hey, give the girl credit...teen or not, she's responsible, caring, and a lot sneakier than her aunt but in a totally good way. Elliot now, he's not so sneaky but quite a catch nonetheless and a great match for...someone that I shan't name but the will they/won't they will keep you on your toes because as I said, THIS IS NOT A ROMANCE book. This is a book that has the romance of life and it's many aspects on display, but it's bigger than one person's story. MUCH bigger...and much better.
In the end, it's a story to experience first hand from start to finish. It's about discovering the hidden past of someone you love, but also the sides of you that manage to allude detection. It has family, love, mystery, tears and smiles. Hearts are broken AND mended. Histories are forever changed as are the perceptions of others and the understanding of themselves. Highly recommended for fans of the genre as well as those simply seeking a reading escape from the crazy that is life....it definitely doesn't disappoint.
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About the author....
Carolyn T. Dingman grew up as a nomadic military brat often making up stories that the adults referred to as “lies.” She is now a grown-up and hardly ever lies anymore unless she’s writing fiction where it is considered socially acceptable.
She attended Clemson University in South Carolina, which in no way prepared her for a career in writing, but it did inspire a good deal of the names used in her debut novel, CANCEL THE WEDDING (HarperCollins, Aug 5, 2014).
Carolyn lives in her adopted hometown of Atlanta with her husband and their two daughters. She volunteers too much, eats too much chocolate, and prefers beer over wine.
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Special thanks to Trish and the TLC Book Tours crew for the chance to bring this tour to you...and the ARC for review. (THANKS!) For more information on this promotion as well as those tours forthcoming, be sure to stop by their official site. This book was released just last week via Harper Paperbacks, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing. This being a blog tour and all, pay a visit to my "co-host" of sorts today over at Stephany Writes, as well as tomorrow's stop at Drey's Library.
Until next time....happy reading!
I like stories with hidden secrets.
ReplyDeleteWith a plot and characters I'm sure many of us will identify with as having been there at some point in our lives this sounds like a winner.
ReplyDeleteWow, an escape read like this may be just what I need! I like that it isn't a romance but that there is romance as part of the story.
ReplyDeleteThanks for being a part of the tour!
I'm sure this book would have me fantasizing about what it would be like to take off, even if for a little while. It's a fun fantasy to have, and I like seeing it play out in novels!
ReplyDeleteThanks for being on the tour!
I like levelheaded heroines.
ReplyDeleteAnd an author who volunteers too much and eats too much chocolate sounds like my kind of person.