TLC Book Tours presents... THE OVERDUE LIFE OF AMY BYLER by Kelly Harms - REVIEW + GIVEAWAY!

Hi there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we're joining forces with TLC Book Tours to bring you a stop along their current promotion featuring the latest release from author Kelly Harms via Lake Union Publishing.  It's a work of Fiction that can be shoehorned into the Women's sub-genre, but just as easily hang out with the upper crust of the Chick-Lit category, or even a modest Contemporary Romance.  Basically, it has a little bit of this, and a little bit of that, and a whole lot of heart that'll appeal to a lot of my fellow reading audience members, and so without further ado, I'm going to cut right to the chase, so my own review is not "overdue" (get it...like the title? Ha!).  Today's blog tour guest and book of choice is...

The Overdue Life of Amy Byler

by

Kelly Harms

9781542042963

Lake Union Publishing

About the book...
Overworked and underappreciated, single mom Amy Byler needs a break. So when the guilt-ridden husband who abandoned her shows up and offers to take care of their kids for the summer, she accepts his offer and escapes rural Pennsylvania for New York City.

Usually grounded and mild mannered, Amy finally lets her hair down in the city that never sleeps. She discovers a life filled with culture, sophistication, and—with a little encouragement from her friends—a few blind dates. When one man in particular makes quick work of Amy’s heart, she risks losing herself completely in the unexpected escape, and as the summer comes to an end, Amy realizes too late that she must make an impossible decision: stay in this exciting new chapter of her life, or return to the life she left behind.

But before she can choose, a crisis forces the two worlds together, and Amy must stare down a future where she could lose both sides of herself, and every dream she’s ever nurtured, in the beat of a heart.

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

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Once upon a time, there was a girl, who grew into a woman, who married a guy, who had two amazing kids, who woke up one day and was very much....ALONE.  I'm not talking in the midlife-crisis-sense sorta way either.  I mean in the OMG-where-the-hey-did-my-so-called-beloved-disappear-to-all-of-a-sudden-after-FIFTEEN-years-of-marriage type of alone.  Yeah...try figuring THAT one out of the stinking blue. 

Admittedly, Amy had her moments...both of falling to pieces and taking on the world...I mean, who wouldn't, but in the end, she managed.  It wasn't so much a solo drudge though, but a self-created village of helpers that came together to help her pull herself up by her bra straps and get things done.  The thing is, in the midst of all that, she was blindsided by the pain and strangeness of the land in which she was living, so she didn't quite see the scope of the assistance there or available to her, which aided in feeding her self-inflicted martyr state of mind....but that's not all she overlooked, or had to come to terms with later.  She also forgot to take care of herself...

This was an unusual, but GOOD read!  Admittedly, I adored the cover at first sight, then the title, then once I got around to reading the synopsis, I was sold all over again.  Once I began reading, I was in a bit of a conundrum though. I held so much respect for Amy's decision to attempt to let the kids get to know John (aka the absentee *astard that simply couldn't handle things, disappeared, and...whew...back on track) after three years off the maps, but honestly I wasn't certain I could've made the same choice. I mean I, I get it...they were kids, but not babies, so involving them was the "adult" thing to do, but man...I really just wanted to trust her initial gut instinct, and run the other way.  Not that Amy and I were suppose to mirror each other thought for though...though I wouldn't mind being a librarian, nor her hottie librarian man prospect...but it did give me pause to think about the real life repercussions of saying YES or NO to such an "offer".  Also, when she decided to take on the Big Apple, her plan b in New York...so much b*lls to pull off! Wish I could say I could do that as well, but whew! I'd TOTALLY be sweating bullets.  She is one STRONG WOMAN!  Anywho, back to things again...

Amy is really and truly a stellar woman, role model, and mom.  She's not perfect though she tries to be, and when things get messy, yes...she does have that moment of what-the-heck-am-I-suppose-to-do-with-this, but she doesn't give up; she just readjusts her heading like any good captain of her own ship called life.  As lovable as she is, her friends are equally stellar and TOTALLY dependable in a crisis!  I'd really like friends like hers, guys and gals included. Okay, so I wasn't thrilled when Talia's article feature was sprung on her (#momspringa it's a thing!), but it didn't hurt her, and it was helping her friend...plus the makeover and other pluses?  Gold!  Lena was an absolute HOOT, what with her past, her present, and her penchant for helping others turn things right side round again without being overbearing.  Regarding the guys, I'm not talking about John because yeah...SO not a character I care for.  I'm talking about Matt, Talia's assistant and Amy's newest friend addition, and Daniel, the aforementioned hottie librarian prospect. They're not just fun to talk to or look at, but true golden heart owners.

In the end, I TOTALLY suggest taking a #lifespringa and reading this book. I enjoyed getting to know our leading librarian as she got to know herself, and discovered that it was okay to have a life again after "tragedy" has struck. It's a hard lesson to learn, but one that's necessary to find our way back to happiness.

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About the author...

Kelly Harms is an author, a mother, and a big dreamer. She lives in Madison, Wisconsin, with her sparkling son, Griffin; her fluffy dog, Scout; and her beloved Irishman, Chris. Before this midwestern life, she lived in New York, New York, and worked with many of her author-heroes as an editor at HarperCollins and then as a literary agent. When she’s not lost in a book that she’s either writing or reading, you can find her on the water, in the water, or near the water.

Website | Facebook | Instagram

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Up for grabs...

(1) print edition of

The Overdue Life of Amy Byler by Kelly Harms!

TO ENTER, CLICK HERE

 TO ACCESS THE RAFFLECOPTER FORM!

THE RULES...

Open to US residents only; no PO Boxes please.

Entries accepted through midnight 06/08/19.

Winner will be drawn, contacted, and given 48 hours to respond with their mailing information which will be forwarded for prize shipment.  If not response is received, a new winner will be chosen.

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Special thanks to TLC Book Tours and Lake Union Publishing for the chance to bring this tour to you as well as the copy for review.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title, 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 via Lake Union Publishing, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing!

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



HOT WINTER NIGHTS by Jill Shalvis - REVIEW + GIVEAWAY!

Hi there!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we're joining Harper Collins Publishers for the latest release from author Jill Shalvis.  Excited?  You definitely should be because this title has us paying a visit to Heartbreaker Bay and we all know what that means, right?  Uber fun times filled with friends, family, hot tech guys, hot millionaires, hot bodyguard/surveillance teams, hot...well, HOT WINTER NIGHTS to not put TOO fine a point on it.  😉 Gee, I wonder where the title came from...*giggle*  Anywho, suffice it to say that the moment I heard this one was coming down from the publishing gods, I already had my virtual bags packed and ready to go...and if you're ready to join me, this beauty is recently IN STORES NOW, but also on the blog today!  So, ready...set...READ all about...

Hot Winter Nights

Heartbreaker Bay series, Book 6

by

Jill Shalvis

9780062741837

Avon Books

About the book...

Who needs mistletoe?

Most people wouldn’t think of a bad Santa case as the perfect Christmas gift. Then again, Molly Malone, office manager at Hunt Investigations, isn’t most people, and she could really use a distraction from the fantasies she’s been having since spending the night with her very secret crush, Lucas Knight. Nothing happened, not that Lucas knows that—but Molly just wants to enjoy being a little naughty for once . . .

Whiskey and pain meds for almost-healed bullet wounds don’t mix. Lucas needs to remember that next time he’s shot on the job, which may be sooner rather than later if Molly’s brother, Joe, finds out about them. Lucas can’t believe he’s drawing a blank on his (supposedly) passionate tryst with Molly, who’s the hottest, smartest, strongest woman he’s ever known. Strong enough to kick his butt if she discovers he’s been assigned to babysit her on her first case. And hot enough to melt his cold heart this Christmas.

PUBLISHER

AMAZON  |  B&N  |  BAM  |  INDIEBOUND

IBOOKS  |  GOOGLE PLAY

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This holiday season, Santa isn't the only one delivering the goods...

...were you naughty or nice?

I know, I know.

The world says...it's October!  Time to read some horror! 🎃

Here I am saying...ho ho ho!  Time for some holiday reading! 🎅

The thing is as much as I want to follow the current seasonal trend, some of my favorite authors are releasing holiday titles RIGHT NOW and who am I to say no to READING the heck out of them?!  Seriously though, even with the story taking place around the holidays, I'd read this series anytime, anywhere, anyhow because it's just that good!  Take this installment for example...

Molly is Joe's younger sister, whom we met more intimately in another series release, and Lucas is one of his and her coworkers.  She's the office assistant, intel provider, and investigator...behind the scenes.  She WANTS to be out there in the field with her own casework, helping those that need the help, fighting the good fight out from behind a desk.  Problem?  Working with an overprotective brother and his alpha male squadron of manly men...with hearts of gold, mind you, but still....a girl wants to do what a girl wants to do.  Oh, and there is the little issue of a physical challenge she has to deal with, but she's a trooper, and can totally handle anything that comes here way...a perfect example of never underestimate the little guy (or gal).  Lucas on the other hand is one of those alpha male manly men, and while sworn to keeping his distance from the distracting allure of Molly, his latest "job" seems to have landed him out of the proverbial pot and straight into the FIRE.  Oh yes, there will be sparks, but they'll also be danger, ill-filling elf costumes, bad Santa's, secrets both kept and revealed...with the biggest one of all exposing them both like nothing else can.  They've BOTH brave and true...but can they be true to THEIR hearts?

OMG.  Did I say that I LOVE THIS SERIES because really I LOVE THIS SERIES!  It's like coming home every time I pick up another novel in the set, yet newcomers to Heartbreaker Bay need not fear because they also work as standalone titles!  Of course, WHY would you want to read only one when you could READ THEM ALL?  Am I right?  Let's just assume that's a yes.  😉   Anyway, Molly was such a breath of fresh air to finally get to know, and yet so much like her brother that I had moments of deja vu from his story.  Really, the visit with dear old dad with Lucas in tow, total flashback moment!  The thing is though, they were there for each other through thick and thin, with a lot more thin than would be preferred, so the similarities of keeping their pasts hidden, holding tight the reins on their emotions, and not letting people past their walls easily were total no brainers...well that last one held until Lucas.  *sigh*  Sorry, but there's definitely something about this guy that will tug at your heartstrings (among other places *smirk*) because although he's a total alpha, he's so considerate without being condescending, so helpful without being overbearing, so careful and yet when it comes to the heart, there's really only so careful you can be.

In the end, my visit to Heartbreaker Bay was FABULOUS as usual, and I couldn't recommend the trip any more than if I bought your ticket for you (although in a way I did, or rather the publisher did, but we'll get to that in just a sec...).  It's bursting at the seams with cheer and good will toward men/women....unless they happen to be doing unscrupulous things, and then they are far game because hello, naughty list!  Be sure to say hello to the gang from previous releases, and give a wave to Eddie...just, umm, don't buy the mistletoe, okay?  😉 

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About the author...

New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental. Look for Jill’s bestselling, award-winning books wherever romances are sold and visit her website, www.jillshalvis.com, for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.

SITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK

INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST | TUMBLR

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Special thanks to Julie at HarperCollins Publishers for the copy for review as well as the chance to bring this tour to you. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the series, the author, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title is available now via Avon Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing. Be sure to check out the other stops along the tour making its way through the blogosphere as we speak for more bookish fun!

BEFORE YOU GO...

DON'T MISS YOUR CHANCE TO WIN!

Up for grabs...(1) print copy of Hot Winter Nights by Jill Shalvis!

Just fill out the Rafflecopter below for your chance to win.

The rules...

*Open to US/Canada residents only; no P.O. Boxes please

Entries accepted through midnight CST October 12, 2018.

Winner will be drawn, contacted, and given 48 hours to respond with their full mailing information to be passed on to the publisher for prize send out.  If no response is received in the given time frame, a new winner will be chosen.  SFIR is not responsible for lost prizes. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

FALL into Middle Grade with Candlewick Press! - ULTIMATE GIVEAWAY!!

Hi there!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.

Today, we say goodbye to July and HELLO AUGUST in a pretty HUGE way.  I am BEYOND EXCITED to be bringing you this news because let's face it, who doesn't like NEW BOOKS?  I mean really, and if you add to that the fact that there are NINE TITLES UP FOR GRABS and did I mention FIVE WINNERS OF THAT SAME SAID SET...yeah, you'd be pretty stoked too.  Oh wait, so now YOU'RE excited too?  FABULOUS!  Just try to contain that excitement of for a few more moments though because we're about to meet the Middle Grade galley round up in all its bookish glory.

The opportunity came to me from Raquel over at Candlewick Press (love her, love the publisher, just bookish love all around!) and when I first read the request, I had to stop a moment, rewind, and read it again.  FIVE SETS of their upcoming Fall 2018 Middle Grade release titles to giveaway?  YES PLEASE!  Some of these titles are already on my reading list for future posts, but the chance to share that excitement over their pending release, share the wondrous tales within before they even hit store shelves...now that's a bloggers dream of the highest quality.  So, here I am, rambling on about the FABULOSITY of the situation and before you start yelling at the screen to just get on with it ...I'm going to do just that.  Let's meet the titles UP FOR GRABS in this ULTIMATE GIVEAWAY!

Apollo 8:  The Mission That Changed Everything

by  Martin W. Sandler

  In 1957, when the USSR launched Sputnik I, the first man-made satellite to orbit Earth, America’s rival in the Cold War claimed victory on a new frontier. The Space Race had begun, and the United States was losing. Closer to home, a decade of turbulence would soon have Americans reeling, with the year 1968 alone seeing the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy as well as many violent clashes between police and protesters. Americans desperately needed something good to believe in, and NASA’s mission to orbit Earth in Apollo 8 and test a lunar landing module was being planned for the end of the year. But with four months to go and the module behind schedule, the CIA discovered that the USSR was preparing to send its own mission around the moon — another crucial victory in the Space Race — and it was clearly time for a change of plan. In a volume full of astonishing full-color photographs, including the iconic Earthrise photo, Martin W. Sandler unfolds an incredible chapter in U.S. history: Apollo 8 wouldn’t just orbit Earth, it would take American astronauts to see the dark side of the moon.

The Turnaway Girls by Hayley Chewins

On Sale October 9^th, 2018

9780763697921

On the strange, stormy island of Blightsend, twelve-year-old Delphernia Undersea has spent her whole life in the cloister of turnaway girls, hidden from sea and sky by a dome of stone and the laws of the island. Outside, the Masters play their music. Inside, the turnaway girls silently make that music into gold. Making shimmer, Mother Nine calls it. But Delphernia can’t make shimmer. She would rather sing than stay silent. When a Master who doesn’t act like a Master comes to the skydoor, it’s a chance for Delphernia to leave the cloister. Outside the stone dome, the sea breathes like a wild beast, the sky watches with stars like eyes, and even the gardens have claws. Outside, secrets fall silent in halls without sound. And outside, Delphernia is caught — between the island’s sinister Custodian and its mysterious Childer-Queen. Between a poem-speaking prince and a girl who feels like freedom. And in a debut that glimmers with hope and beauty, freedom — to sing, to change, to live — is precisely what’s at stake.

Otherwood by Pete Hautman

On Sale September 11^th, 2018

9780763690717

“Hatred combined with lies and secrets can break the world.” Grandpa Zach used to say that before he died, but Stuey never really knew what he meant. It was kind of like how he used to talk about quantum physics or how he used to say ghosts haunted their overgrown golf course. But then one day, after Stuey and his best friend, Elly Rose, spend countless afternoons in the deadfall in the middle of the woods, something totally unbelievable happens. As Stuey and Elly Rose struggle to come to grips with their lives after that reality-splitting moment, all the things Grandpa Zach used to say start to make a lot more sense. This is a book about memory and loss and the destructive nature of secrets, but also about the way friendship, truth, and perseverance have the ability to knit a torn-apart world back together.

The Bigfoot Files by Lindsay Eagar

On Sale October 9^th, 2018

9780763692346

The Loch Ness Monster. The Frogman. Bigfoot. Twelve-year-old Miranda Cho used to believe in it all, used to love poring over every strange footprint, every stray hair, everything that proved that the world was full of wonders. But that was before her mother’s obsession with monsters cost Miranda her friends and her perfect school record, before Miranda found the stack of unopened bills and notices of foreclosure in the silverware drawer. Now the fact that her mom’s a cryptozoologist doesn’t seem wonderful — it’s embarrassing and irresponsible, and it could cost them everything. So Miranda agrees to go on one last creature hunt, determined to use all her scientific know-how to prove to her mother, once and for all, that Bigfoot isn’t real. Then her mom will have no choice but to grow up and get a real job — one that will pay the mortgage and allow Miranda to attend the leadership camp of her dreams. But when the trip goes horribly awry, will it be Miranda who’s forced to question everything she believes?

Begone the Raggedy Witches:  (The Wild Magic Trilogy, Book One)

by Celine Kiernan

On Sale September 11, 2018

9780763699963

On the night that Aunty dies, the raggedy witches come for Mup’s family. Pale, cold, and relentless, the witches will do anything for the tyrannical queen who has outlawed most magic and enforces her laws with terror and cruelty — and who happens to be Mup’s grandmother. When witches carry off her dad, Mup and her mam leave the mundane world to rescue him. But everything is odd in the strange, glittering Witches Borough, even Mam. Even Mup herself. In a world of rhyming crows, talking cats, and golden forests, it’s all Mup can do to keep her wits about her. And even if she can save her dad, Mup’s not sure if anything will ever be the same again. First in a new trilogy by Irish author Celine Kiernan, this tale of family and forbidden magic charts a fresh path through the landscape of beloved fantasy tradition — and promises to bewitch any reader in search of stories to love.

What Is Poetry?: The Essential Guide to Reading and Writing Poems

by Michael Rosen, illustrated by Jill Calder

On Sale January 8^th, 2019

9781536201598

For thousands of years, people have been writing poetry. But what is poetry? Award-winning wordsmith Michael Rosen has spent decades thinking about that question, and in this helpful guide he shares his insights with humor, knowledge, and appreciation — appreciation for poetry and appreciation for twenty-first-century children embarking on their own poetic journeys. Young readers are invited to join him on a welcoming exploration of the British poetic canon, replete with personal insights into what the renowned poet thinks about as he writes and advice on writing their own poetry. When he’s finished, readers will be able to say with confidence: this is poetry. Included in this accessible handbook are writing tips, analyses of classic poems, and an appendix of poets and useful websites.

Astrid the Unstoppable by Maria Parr

translated by Guy Puzey

On sale November 13^th, 2018

9781536200171

Speed and self-confidence, that’s Astrid’s motto. Nicknamed “the little thunderbolt,” she loves to spend her days racing down the hillside on her sled, singing loudly as she goes, and visiting Gunnvald, her grumpy, septuagenarian best friend and godfather, who makes hot chocolate from real chocolate bars. She just wishes there were other children to share her hair-raising adventures with. But Astrid’s world is about to be turned upside down by two startling arrivals to the village of Glimmerdal: first a new family, then a mysterious, towering woman who everyone seems to know but Astrid. It turns out that Gunnvald has been keeping a big secret from his goddaughter, one that will test their friendship to its limits. Astrid is not too happy about some of these upheavals in Glimmerdal — but, luckily, she has a plan to set things right.

Mangoes, Mischief, and Tales of Friendship: Stories from India

by Chitra Soundar, illustrated by Uma Krishnaswamy

On Sale January 1^st, 2019

9781536200676

Being a wise and just ruler is no easy task. That’s what Prince Veera discovers when he and his best friend, Suku, are given the opportunity to preside over the court of his father, King Bheema. Some of the subjects’ complaints are easily addressed, but others are much more challenging. How should they handle the case of the greedy merchant who wishes to charge people for enjoying the smells of his sweets? And can they prove that an innocent man cannot possibly spread bad luck? Will Prince Veera and Suku be able to settle the dispute between a man and his neighbor to whom he sells a well — but not the water in it? Or solve the mystery of the jewels that have turned into pickles? Illustrated throughout by Uma Krishnaswamy, these eight original tales by Chitra Soundar task Veera and Suku with outwitting the kingdom’s greediest, wiliest subjects. Are the two clever boys up to the challenge?

Speechless by Adam P. Schmitt

On Sale November 6^th, 2018

9781536200928

As if being stuffed into last year’s dress pants at his cousin’s wake weren’t uncomfortable enough, thirteen-year-old Jimmy has just learned from his mother that he has to say a few words at the funeral the next day. Why him? What could he possibly say about his cousin, who ruined everything they did? He can’t recall one birthday party, family gathering, or school event with Patrick that didn’t result in injury or destruction. As Jimmy attempts to navigate the odd social norms of the wake, he draws on humor, heartfelt concern, and a good deal of angst while racking his brain and his memory for a decent and meaningful memory to share. But it’s not until faced with a microphone that the realization finally hits him: it’s not the words that are spoken that matter the most, but those that are truly heard.

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Exciting, am I right?

So, here's what you have to do to get your name in the proverbial hat for a CHANCE TO WIN (1) OF FIVE SETS of these FABULOUS TITLES!

Fill out the Rafflecopter below and SPREAD THE WORD!

Seriously, yes...it's that easy.

What, you want more hoops?

Sorry, no...this isn't a circus, it's a book blog.

Anywho...the rules as usual....

Open to US/Canada residents only; no P.O. Boxes please.

Entries accepted through midnight August 8th, 2018.  Winners will be drawn, emailed, and have 48 hours to respond with their full name and mailing information.  If not received in the given time -frame, a new winner(s) will be chosen.  SFIR is not responsible for lost prizes.

👍

We good?

GREAT...now here's your gateway to the ULTIMATE GIVEAWAY!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Special thanks to Raquel at Candlewick Press for the chance to bring this AWESOMENESS to you.  (THANK YOU!)  For more information on the titles listed, the authors, the illustrators, or the rest of their wonderful catalog, feel free to click through the links provided above.

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