Hello, hello!
Fancy meeting you here for another bookish post on Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers!
Seriously though, for those that tuned in earlier today, we've already had one blog tour visitor, but, as promised, today is a two-fer and this is the two in the "fer". This time around, we're going with a Contemporary Fiction title that easily fits into Romance, Women's Fiction, or even the Chick Lit sub-categories with ease...and fans of ANY of the genres will be most delighted. Don't believe me? Well then, let's get this show on the road! Ladies and gents, the next title in the spotlight and blog tour guest is...
Just The Way You Are
by
Beth Moran
About the book...
A novel about friendship, romance and learning to love yourself - just the way you are.
When Olivia Tennyson – or Ollie to her friends – was sixteen, she wrote a Dream List of all the things she wanted for her life, including a happy marriage and a family. But at twenty-nine, Ollie is single, living at home with her over-protective and manipulative mother, and is feeling like her dreams are getting further out of reach.
It’s time for a change.
It’s time to take matters into her own hands.
Without telling her mum, or more importantly, asking her permission, Ollie finds the perfect place to start her new life. End Cottage has a duck-egg blue front door, a garden that leads to acres of forest, and definitely counts as her dream home.
Now all Ollie has to do is complete the rest of her list and find out who she really is, before she can imagine any romance coming into her life. After all, how is she going to find her dream man in the middle of a forest…
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I identified with Ollie SO very much it was SCARY. I mean, I REALLY got her...her family ties, the desire to run the other way, the stunted life, the chance at a new direction...it was just spot on reality. Of course, I don't have a Dream List like she did, although I'm loving the sound of it, nor a hunky Forest Ranger to randomly pop up at the darndest moments, but always in the nick of time either, but who knows what the future holds? *ahem* Anywho, enough about me, let's get back to Ollie...
I adored her character, I felt for her life, and I was rooting her on like a cheerleader on a spirit stick power trip. She DESERVED her chance. She NEEDED to find her own way. She WANTED to be there for others, but had to find a balance that kept alluding her. She was the best of leading ladies you could hope for...and the friends she made along the way were just as memorable too! It was great how she recognized Diamante Butterfly's GREATNESS by her chosen pastime and reading selection. It was wonderful how she kept at Ebenezer and wouldn't let him simply keep in the dark. It was heartwarming when she reached out to Leanne despite the tough exterior. The progress she made with her mother, and Aunt was commendable. Her dedication to finishing the list on her terms, even with the miscommunications along the way about her desires for the actual end of the No Man Mandate, was inspiring...and hey, the realization that she didn't have to wait for someone else to make that list come true was absolutely grand! Yes, she wanted to share it with someone...and she sorta gets to anyway...but it wasn't a stopping point that held her back. She was a force and in the end, all was right with the world.
SO, do I recommend this one? Oh yeah...a thousand times and then some, for a weekend read to get better acquainted with yourself or someone else you might recognize in the mix, and a story you won't soon forget. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll want to reach through the pages and hug a few people, while slapping a couple of others, but you'll react, and that's something all stories should strive for.
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About the author...
Beth Moran is the author of four novels, including the bestselling Christmas Every Day. She regularly features on BBC Radio Nottingham and is a trustee of the national women's network Free Range Chicks. She lives on the outskirts of Sherwood Forest.
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Special thanks to Rachel at Rachel's Random Resources for the chance to bring this tour to you. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, this promotion, or those on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title is available now, so click on over to your favorite online retailer to snag your copy today and be sure to check out the rest of the tour for more bookish fun!
Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!
1 comment:
Ollie does indeed seem like one of those terrific characters that readers will relate to to a greater or lesser degree. That you related to her so highly makes for great reading.
That the author has created such memorable characters in a novel that brings so many emotions to the fore is to be applauded, that you rate the novel so highly is, as my nana would say, not something to be sneezed at.
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