Hi there!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.
Today, we welcome a TLC Book Tour featuring Susan Mallery's latest release in the Contemporary Romance category. It stars three ladies at different stages of their lives that come together as friends, family, and more. Their differences couldn't be greater yet their triumphs, and trials link them in ways stronger than blood. It's truly amazing, an adjective I seem to throw around a lot when reading this author's work, and I don't foresee a shortage in its use anytime soon. Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in welcoming today's blog tour guest and book of choice...
by
9780778317746
MIRA Books
About the book...
Nicole Lord wants to be a good wife, but there's a difference between being supportive and supporting her husband, who quit his job to write a screenplay she's never seen. He won't even help take care of their son, leaving Nicole to run the house and work full-time at her Mischief Bay Pilates studio. Can she say enough is enough without losing the man she loves?
Sacrificing a personal life for her career is how Shannon Rigg rose to become vice president in her firm, but she wonders now whether she made the right choice. An exciting new relationship with a great guy convinces her that it might not be too late—until he drops a bombshell that has her questioning whether she can have it all. And if she can, does she want it?
Although Pam Eiland has a beautiful house and a husband she adores, she feels… restless. She wonders who a stay-at-home mom becomes after the kids are grown. Finding sexy new ways to surprise her husband brings the heat and the humor back to their marriage, but when unexpected change turns her life upside down, she'll have to redefine herself. Again.
Through romance and heartbreak, laughter and tears, three very different women will discover that friends can become family, and that life is richer with sisters at your side.
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Nicole, Shannon, and Pam....three sisters from different misters,
Okay, well they aren't related in any fashion really, but as close as they are, they might as well be. After all, family is not created by blood alone, but by those you hold dear enough to call "your own".
The story was a wonderful mix of three lives individually and intertwining. It allows you to grow with the characters as they do, prepares you for change as they would be, and even be surprised by life in the BEST and worst ways. There are ups and downs, highs and lows, but through it all, these three ladies, their family, and friends, see you through with a shoulder to cry on, and a helping hand whether asked for or not. It's truly character driven though there is certainly enough going on in each life introduced to entertain all on its own. There's marital discord, new beginnings, loss, rediscovery...just to name a few! It'll keep you on your toes while letting you feel like one of the gang. Now, speaking of the gang...
Age wise I'm between Nicole and Shannon.
Experience wise...I'm not really up to anyone's par.
Life stage wise...I've got a tiny mix of Shannon and Pam.
So you see, I'm a mixed bag of everyone, which allowed me to connect with each character in the story. I was saddened by Nicole's break down and yet surprised by her break through. Can't say I totally agree with the "understanding" she came to but to each their own. Shannon's new found love seemed like it was made for her and yet the reality of having to work through things and with people shook up her well ordered world. Once again, I can't say I totally agree with her desire to accept and compromise with Adam and his former significant other, but love can make people blind and as long as it works for them, who am I to say nay. However, I was surprised by one thing. I was most emotionally attached to Pam. Her joys and sorrows, her final decisions, the care she showed for everyone in her life including Lulu her well loved Chinese Crested pup, all shined through the page and right into my heart. When times became tough, I couldn't help tearing up. When it felt like the end was near, I couldn't believe what was happening and wanted to reach through the page to bring her back from the edge (thank goodness for the ladies on the ship!).
In conclusion, if you're a fan of Susan Mallery's other works, this one should DEFINITELY be on your MUST READ list. If you haven't sampled her work yet, this is a fine place to start! The "girls" will welcome you in and treat you like one of the family, with all the laughs, cries, smiles, and shared moments life can offer. I wouldn't mind visiting Mischief Bay myself one day, especially with friends like these waiting in the wings.
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About the author
New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery has won the hearts of millions of readers around the world with books described as “immensely entertaining, intensely emotional” (RT Book Reviews), “hilarious” (Fort Worth Star-Telegram), and “heartwarming” (Publishers Weekly). One major retailer recently described her as “the queen of romantic fiction.” While she deeply appreciates the accolades of critics and booksellers, Mallery is even more honored by the enthusiasm of her readers and the word-of-mouth that catapults her toward the top of the bestsellers lists time and again.
Mallery lives in not-so-sunny Seattle with her husband, plus a toy poodle and two ragdoll cats who are not at all impressed by her growing fame.
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Special thanks the gang at TLC Book Tours for the ARC copy for review as well as the chance to bring this tour to you. (THANKS!) For more information on this tour, the author, the publisher, for what's on the horizon for the girls in the story, feel free to click through the links listed above. this title reached publication earlier this month the MIRA Books, an imprint of Harlequin, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing.
Until next time...happy reading!
Sounds like a lot of emotions are explored in this and its always a plus when you connect with characters in this way.
ReplyDeleteReally enjoyed your review! I love books about women's friendships, and this sounds like a good one!
ReplyDeleteTerri @ Alexia's Books and Such...
sounds a lot like lives intertwined in joy sorrow misery real as it gets. fun to read and place yourself within. reviewer nevrr loses the abiliy y to lead us to the finest of fine thanks be th o you and the author who is destined to be one of my favorites.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to visit a place like this with friends like this as well!
ReplyDeleteThanks for being a part of the tour.