TLC BOOK TOURS: The Sweet Life by Sharon Struth - REVIEW + GIVEAWAY!

Hi there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we're joining a TLC Book Tour already in progress.  It stars a Lyrical Press release that could easily fit into both the Women's Fiction and Romance genres...with a healthy dose of traveling to satisfy any bout of cabin fever you may be experiencing as the hot summer says turn into brisk autumn nights.  So, if you'll kindly grab your carry-ons and follow me, we're about to embark on today's reading escape with our book of choice...

The Sweet Life

A Sweet Life novel

by

Sharon Struth

Lyrical Press

About the book...

In Italy, the best attractions are always off the beaten path . . .
 
Mamie Weber doesn’t know why she survived that terrible car accident five years ago. Physically, she has only a slight reminder—but emotionally, the pain is still fresh. Deep down she knows her husband would have wanted her to embrace life again. Now she has an opportunity to do just that, spending two weeks in Tuscany reviewing a tour company for her employer’s popular travel guide series. The warmth of the sun, the centuries-old art, a villa on the Umbrian border—it could be just the adventure she needs.

But with adventure comes the unexpected . . . like discovering that her entire tour group is made up of aging ex-hippies reminiscing about their Woodstock days. Or finding herself drawn to the guide, Julian, who is secretly haunted by a tragedy of his own, and seems to disapprove any time she tries something remotely risky—like an impromptu scooter ride with a local man.

As they explore the hilltop towns of Tuscany, Mamie knows that when this blissful excursion is over, she’ll have to return to reality. But when you let yourself wander, life can take some interesting detours . . .

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Though I've only seen the films, I liken this read to a cross between Under the Tuscan Sun and My Life in Ruins.  Mamie is reaching for an uncertain future, while Julian is hiding from his past.  Both seem stuck in place due to the pain they are holding so tightly too, but sometimes misery loves company...and in that same vein, company can turn into something more, which can break the shackles of what-once-was-and-can-never-be once and for all.

It was great getting to know Mamie under the guise she originally presented, but more so as the story unfolds.  Hey, a secret identity can be hard to keep (not that I'm speaking from experience or anything), so when the cracks started showing, I couldn't help but feel for her.  She's walked a hard road these last five years and deserved the chance to find her way again.  I was worried she wouldn't get that chance with Julian being so stubborn, but those crazy free-loving-music-loving Wanderers were just the right amount of free spirit to kick things into gear.  As we travel with this wildish and wizened group, we get a history of some of Italy's greatest known landmarks as well as a peek at those places one can only discover by walking off the beaten path...sorta like the way we find OUR true selves and, in the case of our leads, the power of forgiveness.

In the end, the potential love affair was a part of the story, but not the whole shebang.  I actually fancied the other aspects of the tale even more...like taking chances, living for today, sharing our true self with others, and the power of letting go.  Though Mamie and Julian both dwelled a bit much on their own circumstances for my own tastes, they got it together in the end and really, what more can you ask of two characters blown off their charted courses by the winds of fate?

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About the author...

Sharon Struth believes you’re never too old to pursue a dream. The Hourglass, her debut novel, is a finalist in the National Readers’ Choice Awards for Best first Book, and her Blue Moon Lake Novels include the bestseller, Share the Moon.

When she’s not working, she and her husband happily sip their way through the scenic towns of the Connecticut Wine Trail, travel the world, and enjoy spending time with their precious pets and two grown daughters. She writes from the friendliest place she’s ever lived, Bethel, Connecticut. For more information, including where to find her published essays, please visit www.sharonstruth.com or visit her blog, Musings from the Middle Ages & More.

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter

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Special thanks to Lisa at TLC Book Tours for the chance to bring this tour to you as well as the team at Lyrical Press for the copy for review.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title, the series, the author, the publisher, THIS TOUR, or those on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title is available now, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing.

BEFORE YOU GO...

DON'T MISS YOUR CHANCE TO WIN IN THE TOUR WIDE GIVEAWAY!  YOUR CHANCE TO WIN...

...a $25 AMAZON or B&N Gift Card!

~~~ CLICK HERE TO ENTER ~~~

Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!