Short & Sweet Sundays: Cocktail Hour by Tara McTiernan

Sundays are a day of rest. So in honor of this one day of the week when I can legitimately loaf around in my Garfield jammies in front of the DVR, I bring you this new feature that I like to call “Short and Sweet Sundays.” This is a fun way for me to write up a quick and dirty book blog without getting too overambitious.

Synapsis (from the publisher) What if your friend – someone admired, envied, and fervently sought after by everyone who knew her – was really a dangerous sociopath?

Spring in glamorous uber-rich Fairfield County, Connecticut is a time of beginnings: a new diet for the approaching summer spent out on the yacht, fresh-faced interns being offered up at the office as the seasonal sacrifice to the gods of money, and corporate takeovers galore. Five women in their thirties have a brand-new friendship, too, one that fed and watered regularly at local hotspots over cocktails. With all of their personal struggles – Lucie’s new catering business is foundering due to vicious gossip, Kate’s marriage is troubled due to an inability to conceive, Chelsea’s series of misses in the romance department have led to frantic desperation, and Sharon’s career problems are spinning out of control – the women look forward to a break and a drink and a chance to let their guards down with their friends. And letting their guards down is the last thing they should do in the kind of company they unknowingly keep with the fifth member of their cocktail-clique: Bianca Rossi, a woman who will stop at nothing to have it all.

What I liked: After reading the author’s previous novel Barefoot Girls –which also includes one helluva villain – I knew I was in for a treat. She has a real knack for getting inside the mind of a certifiable sociopath, and Bianca really takes the cake! That is one crazy-ass bitch, and I hate to think that there could be real-life Biancas preying upon unsuspecting men and exploiting their “friends” weaknesses. She grew more despicable with each chapter – and I couldn’t wait to get to the very end to watch it all come crashing down. I can safely say this is one of the most evil female antagonists I’ve encountered in a very long time. She’s so bad, she makes those Lifetime movie psychos look like playful kittens!

Favorite character: The posse of gal pals all had interesting backstories, but out of all of the women, Kate is my fave. Yes, she’s totally naïve and sometimes just plain dumb, but she’s also loyal and incredibly sweet.  Fresh off the farm and new the big city, she’s refreshingly un-jaded and ready to befriend anyone with a seemingly friendly face. Although I constantly wanted to shake her and tell her to smarten up, she really hit a soft spot in my hardened, misanthropic heart.

If you think about it, haven’t we all been there? At some point, don’t we all find out the hard way that we can’t accept everyone at face-value? To quote Dan Rather, “A tough lesson in life that one has to learn is that not everybody wishes you well.”

The cover: The long-legged women sitting on barstools are pretty and all, but to be honest, I really don’t think the cover does the book justice.  If I saw this in a bookstore, I probably would’ve just assumed it was another light-hearted story about women looking for love in the big city. Since the story revolves around a demented seductress, I think it would be more fitting to invoke a sense of danger on the cover.

This book is best paired with: A tall mojito and some Miles Davis.

Overall assessment:  Cocktail Hour isn’t all margaritas and tapas – McTiernan tackles some troubling issues – from adultery to mental illness to family dysfunction. Emotional, fascinating – and sometimes unsettling – this is one quality read for anyone who enjoys stories about love, loss, friendship and deceit.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Short & Sweet Sunday: Stardust Summer

From the publisher: Single mom Grace Mason doesn’t believe in miracles, magic, or love at first sight. She likes the quiet life, complete with her eight-year-old son, their tiny house, and her teaching job. For Grace, happiness means that nothing much ever changes in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. Then, one thousand miles away, tragedy strikes. A massive heart attack leaves Grace’s estranged father comatose in an Upstate New York hospital. While a team of doctors fight to keep Henry Mason alive, Grace and Evan rush to his bedside to say their final goodbyes. Henry’s passing brings little closure for Grace, but she finds herself inexplicably drawn to her new surroundings. What begins as a short trip results in an entire summer spent with Henry’s second wife, Kathleen, and her next-door neighbor, Ryan Gordon, the town doctor. When a series of unlikely events lead to Evan’s disappearance, Grace must face her worst fears to find her son and bring him back home. Stardust Summer explores the complexities of forgiveness, what it means to be a family, and the fabulous possibility of falling in love—again

Why I picked it up: I can totally relate to stories about family dysfunction and second chances, so this book looked right up my street. Plus I’m in full spring-fever mode, so I was really looking forward to immersing myself in the gorgeous upstate New York lakefront setting.

What I liked most: The setting is – hands down – my most favorite element of this book. The descriptions of watercolor sunsets amid the Catskill Mountains, the sweet-smelling woods, the outdoor picnics – it all just makes me want to pack up my Hello Kitty suitcase and head out to the Adirondacks.  Oh how I wish I could be sipping on a sugary iced tea on Ryan’s porch watching the sun dip under the lake.

Favorite character: I can be a little fickle about main characters, especially in romance novels. Typically the quirky best friend seems far more interesting and likeable. But surprisingly, I found Grace to be the most endearing character in this book. Maybe because I can empathize with her family struggles and trust issues. Sure, she makes some really dumb decisions – especially in the love department – but she eventually comes into her own. I should also mention that I got a big kick out of Kathleen, the estranged stepmother. After her husband’s death, I expected her to fall apart, but she went on living life to the fullest – taking quite a few twists and turns in the process. I’ll stop right here before I give anything away…but I will say that a pink house is involved.

What I want more of: Please, Lauren, tell me that we’re going to see more of Ryan and Grace! I got a nice little taste of their budding romance – and now I want more fireworks, more tension, more hot-and-heavy smooching sessions. I’m not talking 50 Shades of Grey, just maybe a PG-13 bedroom scene would be a fun little bonus for us hopeless romantics.

Final verdict: Overall this is another win for Lauren Clark. What I love about this author is that I know she’s going to strum my heartstrings and make me swoon over a sweet budding romance. If you’re looking for a beach read that will make you wax nostalgic about your childhood summers by the lake, download this book immediately!

 Summed up in three words: Sweet, romantic, atmospheric.

Shameless self-promotion: Guess whose name was mentioned in the acknowledgments! That’s right, Jessica Sinn, book blogger extraordinaire! In my humble opinion,  Lauren is right up there with top women’s fiction authors like Fern Michaels, Kathy Lamb, and Susan Mallery, so this is a true honor.

For more about this fabulous author, check out my reviews for Dancing Naked in Dixie here, and Stay Tuned here. Check out her Q&A here.

The Friday Five: Naturally Charlie by S.L. Scott

In honor of the coolest day of the week, I bring you The Friday Five. Every Friday I will ask the same five questions to myself, or any other willing participant! All my fellow book lovers are welcome to join in on the fun.

Synapsis: Twenty-five year old Charlotte “Charlie” Barrow is caught between her old life, and the one she is beginning to build, when she crosses paths with a handsome stranger on the subway. Not looking for romance, she closes her heart off to the possibilities of love. With a knack for mishaps, Charlie maintains her sense of humor while befriending the kind stranger who seems to be there at all the right times. New York freelance writer, Charlie Adams, is forging his own path beyond the expectations of the society circles of his childhood. Rejecting family money, and fast-lane friends, he is snubbed by his family as he follows his own compass to a life more extraordinary. Through a coincidence of events, they come to rely on each other for comfort. This is the tale of two Charlies learning to trust again while fighting their fates to create their own destiny.

Why did you choose this book? I came across this book at the Texas Book Festival last fall and couldn’t resist picking up a new title by an up-and-coming Texas author.  Although I have to admit that I dragged my heels for a while because I’m rarely in the mood for a light-hearted romance novel without sleuths, vampires or ghosties.

Where did the author go right? Or if it’s a turkey, what went wrong? Let me start off by explaining why I’m not a big fan of straight-up romance novels. The leading ladies are typically one-dimensional and painfully neurotic. They jump at the chance to be haughty and angry toward their love interest and it just grates on my nerves. There’s always a miscommunication and stupid squabbles ensue. I guess authors feel they need to do this to keep the romantic tension boiling, but it just annoys the crap out of me. But you know what surprised me about this book? I actually liked Charlie! She’s just your typical girl-next-door who loves to bake cupcakes and watch movies on a Friday night. We could totally hang out! Sure she has some serious emotional baggage, but it didn’t turn her into a complete ninny. The dynamic between her and Charlie (the dude) is very reminiscent of When Harry Met Sally….only the male Charlie is WAY hotter than Billy Crystal!

I also have to give the author props for thinking up the most bizarre first date of all time. I loved how the Charlies forged a bond under such stressful and emotionally-straining circumstances. From that moment on it was clear they were meant to be together.

Did anything bug you about the book? There were quite a few moments when I just wanted to shake Charlie and yell, “Get the hell out of the friend-zone, you idiot! He’s freakin’ perfect!”

Would you read another book by this author? Yes! When it comes to writing romance, S.L. Scott really knows how to hit the sweet spot. Her characters are believable, the dialogue is entertaining, and the grand finale is ultimately satisfying. Although I have to say that I’m a little tired of the Manhattan scene. Hopefully her next story will be set in Austin, or perhaps a small Texas town.

How would you sum up the book in three words? Sweet, romantic, cute.

I Kill Me by Tracy H. Tucker

With an anxiety disorder the size of Texas, I know better than to go near WebMD, PetMD or any other self-diagnosis website. I blame modern technology for my insatiable need for immediate answers to mysterious ailments like inexplicable hiccupping which, according to a Yahoo chat group, is symptomatic of AIDS! And let’s not forget about the time when I swore I had impetigo after giving myself a giant blister from dancing in stacked heels.

As you can see, I’m the poster child for just saying NO to WebMD. Seriously, folks, we should leave this stuff to the professionals in white coats…but sometimes it’s too hard to resist. This is especially true for Christine Bacon, a 40-something school teacher who is obsessed with deadly diseases. No sneeze, bump, itch or cough goes undetected – and her doctors are making a pretty penny off of her weekly visits. Geez – this poor woman must have to take out a second mortgage just to afford all those co-pays!

Her anxiety goes into overdrive when her husband insists on “shaking things up” by having a threesome with his boobaliscious message therapist. Shortly after the ill-fated tryst, her marriage to Richard (preferably known as Dick) quickly unravels into shreds. Let me tell ya, this guy pissed me off from page one – and I was so ready for him to run off with his new bimbo. He’s the ultimate midlife crisis cliché: divorce the faithful wife, kick her while she’s down, ignore the kids, and sport a boy-band hairstyle. He’s pretty much a douchebag with a capital D, and I couldn’t wait to get to the end of the book so I could revel in Christine’s sweet revenge.

As Christine embarks on the stages of grief, she convinces herself that every stress-related ailment is symptomatic of a fatal disease. From MS, to ear cancer to HIV, she’s certain she will inevitably die a slow, painful death.

But it’s not all gloom and doom for our hapless hypochondriac. She’s got a fabulous circle of friends to turn to when she needs to be talked off the ledge. I absolutely adored her schoolteacher friends who stayed by her side during her darkest days. They never gave up on coaching her through her daily “I’m going to die!” episodes, which is a real testament of friendship. Just ask my loyal bestie, who never fails to entertain my absurd fears of contracting rare fatal diseases. I typically reward her good deeds with some moonshine shots, but really this girl deserves a badge of honor!   Christine also has the perfect gay boyfriend, who just so happens to be a doctor. He’s amused by her endearingly neurotic fascination with deadly illnesses, and their conversations are quite hilarious. 

Aside from the loveable protagonist, the book’s biggest strong suit is the humor. This author clearly has a quirky personality – and it shows in the whip-smart dialogue and Christine’s zany antics. There were some moments that had me shaking with laughter, especially when Christine flipped out on a student for not complimenting her post-divorce haircut. It’s one of the many scenes that only a girl would truly understand and appreciate. Oh and I also really loved the part when she threw herself a  pity party by dramatically taking out the trash (a mandatory husband chore) in front of her sympathetic neighbors.

Overall, this little indie book is quite a gem. Although Christine’s neurosis is a tad extreme, many of the emotions she deals with will resonate with women readers. Whether you’re divorced, single or happily married – this book will make you laugh, cry and hug your best friend. Tracy does a fine job balancing heavy issues with humor without undermining Christine’s underlying psychological problems. If you enjoy stories about personal transformation,  hope and second chances - download this book immediately!

Want to know more about this talented new author? Check out her blog, Tales from an Empty Nest.

Barefoot Girls by Tara McTiernan

Usually during this time of year I get a little melancholy about the end of summer. I already miss those lazy afternoons tubing down the river, and those weekend escapes to the Texas coast. So when I want to evoke those sweet sun-kissed memories, I envelop myself in a good beach read filled with sun, fun and a dash of mystery. I couldn’t have picked a better end-of-summer beach read than Tara McTiernan’s Barefoot Girls!

The story centers on Captains Island, a charming little East Coast hamlet where a quartet of best friends reunite each summer at their sacred clubhouse known as the “Barefooters Shack.” Throughout the decades, the girls remained thick as thieves. When the ringleader of the group has an unexpected pregnancy, the women swoop in and raise their “barefoot baby” together as if it was their own.

Surrounded by a circle of fun-loving mothers, little Hannah spent many fun-filled summers on the island. On the surface, she had the perfect childhood. But her debut “novel” says otherwise.

Written with such passion and depth, Hannah’s book touches on some heavy duty childhood abandonment issues. It certainly doesn’t seem like something a 21-year-old could write… unless if she’s drawing from her own personal experiences. When a snarky book reviewer insinuates that the novel is a disguised memoir, Hannah’s melodramatic mother, Keeley, completely shuts down. How could she fabricate such hurtful lies?

Even Hannah questions the motivation behind the poison-penned novel. Her mother gave her everything she needed, so where is all the anger and resentment coming from?

To get some answers, she quits her waitressing job and heads out to the place where it all began, the sacred Barefooters clubhouse. Filled with so many happy

Here’s my Indian summer getaway: Rockport, TX.

memories and dusty photo albums, the shack is her only sanctuary from the storm. But when she arrives to Captains Island during the gloomy off season, the atmosphere feels more like a baron ghost town than a seaside getaway. And for the first time, Hannah doesn’t feel comfort in solitude.

The only way to understand the root of her complex emotions is to dig into her mother’s past. Why did her mother always seem so emotionally detached? And why did she always feel so alone – even in the presence of her doting Barefooters?

She better find answers quick – before she sabotages all chances for happiness, including her engagement with Daniel, the one man who managed to find his way into her heart.

Told through multiple narratives, the author expertly intertwines several plot threads: Past memories of the Barefooters’ childhood adventures, Keeley’s current struggle with alcoholism and life on the Upper East Side, and Daniel’s frustrations with Hannah’s walled-up emotions. And if that’s not enough drama, she also throws in the Barefooters’ childhood bully,  a deranged beauty queen with fading looks and a serious vendetta.

As Hannah delves deeper into her mother’s unbreakable bond with the Barefooters, she begins to realize why she has always gone through life feeling like an outsider. When shocking family secrets are revealed and pent-up emotions come to a head, Hannah must learn how to move forward by letting go of her past.

Overall Barefoot Girls is a captivating story about forgiveness, new beginnings and the everlasting bond between women. At 400+ pages it’s a little on the long side, but once you get into it you won’t want to leave the idyllic little summer getaway. Through the author’s prose, you can practically smell the salty air and feel the sand beneath your toes. If you’re looking for a sweet escape, this book will do the trick!

A Q&A with Jane Heller

With more than a dozen books under her belt, Jane Heller has gained a steady following of chick lit fans around the world. If you love fun and frothy “girl in the city” novels filled with quirky protagonists, rollicking misadventures, romance and humor, give one of her books a test drive. Since I’m no stranger to sibling rivalry, I’m especially intrigued by “Sis Boom Bah,” a saucy little whodunit filled with romance, murder and sisterly bonding. Stay tuned for the review!

Please join me in welcoming Jane Heller to Chick Lit Café. She was kind enough to take the time to answer my questions about her obsession with the Yankees, pending Hollywood productions, and her upcoming nonfiction memoir “You’d Better Not Die or I’ll Kill You: A Caregiver’s Survival Guide to Keeping You in Good Health and Spirits” (November 2012).

No matter how crazy the situations or characters, readers can relate to them. How do you approach writing your characters?

I try to put myself in the character’s shoes and imagine what I would do in that situation. And then I layer onto that: What would this particular character do in that situation? So while the situations may involve elements of fantasy (“Infernal Affairs,” “The Secret Ingredient”) or family rivalries (“Sis Boom Bah,” “Lucky Stars”) or even murder (“Name Dropping,” “Clean Sweep,” “The Club”), which I’ve never dealt with, thank God, the tone is grounded in reality because the character comes from my own perspective, my own voice. Friends say that reading the novels is like talking to me on the phone!

If any of your books could be adapted into a movie, which one would you choose?

I’d choose all of them! Actually, I’ve had nine of the books optioned for film and television and each time we make a deal, I say to my husband, “This is it. It’s finally happening.” And then the movie doesn’t get produced. One of the novels, “An Ex to Grind,” is in active development now at Fox with Cameron Diaz and Benecio Del Toro attached to play Melanie and Dan, the two main characters. The studio hired the screenwriter of “The Break-Up” and “The Hangover” to write the script and he did a few drafts. But now they’re looking for another writer, which is typical of the development process. I thought we were very close to having a movie of “Lucky Stars.” It’s a mother-daughter comedy and the option was renewed several times, but then nothing. And when Julia Roberts optioned “Sis Boom Bah” for her production company, I was sure I’d be walking the red carpet. Haha. Didn’t happen. I live in hope.

How did writing “You’d Better Not Die or I’ll Kill You” help you cope with your husband’s illness?

Writing the book isn’t so much about helping me cope as much as it is trying to help others cope if they’re caring for a child, spouse or parent with a chronic or critical illness. My husband Michael has been sick, on and off, for the 20 years of our marriage and it hasn’t always been easy. I want the book to be the cheerful, upbeat companion I wish I’d had during those 20 years. So many of the 65 million caregivers in this country are women and I’ve been talking to women through my novels for a long time. I thought this book would be an extension of that conversation. I will always have the goal in my books, fiction or nonfiction, to lift people up with a laugh or a smile. Life is tough. If we can’t laugh, no matter how grim the situation, we’re in trouble.

Why is humor an important tool for you?

My father died when I was six and my mom remarried when I was nine. Suddenly, my older sister and I were in this big, blended family of six kids, and there was a lot of tension at times. I can remember sitting around the dinner table, wishing we were more like “The Brady Bunch,” but inevitably someone would get angry and storm off. I tried to cut the tension by telling jokes at the table. I’d do imitations of the teachers, the mailman, our family doctor, you name it. Being funny has always been my way of saying, “Hey, we need to laugh or we’ll go nuts.”

Let’s talk about “Confessions of a She-Fan.” Was it a risk to write a chick lit novel centered around baseball? And would you recommend this book to girly girls like me who aren’t into sports?

“Confessions of a She-Fan” isn’t a novel – it’s nonfiction – but I hope it reads like chick lit. That was my intention. I wanted to write about a female who happens to love a baseball team almost as much as she loves her husband. It evolved from a piece I wrote in the New York Times in which I announced (as a joke) that I was suing the Yankees for divorce on the grounds of mental cruelty because they were playing so poorly. That piece became the #1 emailed story in the Times the week it ran. I think it struck a chord because it cast a love for a sports team as a romantic love and people identified with that. Would you like it if you’re not into sports? Probably not. But I hope you’ll recommend it to girly girls like me who are into sports!

What’s the best piece of advice you could give an aspiring novelist?

To just sit down and write. I know that sounds sappy and cliché-ish, but it’s true. So many aspiring novelists tell me they want to write but don’t know what to do to get an agent or publisher. I tell them to forget about what will happen after they write. Don’t project into the future. Stay in the moment. Sit down and start with a sentence, then another. Then try a page, then a whole chapter. Before you know it, you’ll have 300 pages and you’ll feel a sense of accomplishment. Some aspiring novelists say they don’t have time to write. To them I tell the story of a woman with whom I was on a panel a few years ago. She’d written her first novel and it was getting great reviews. She was a single mother of 10 kids, following the very sudden death of her husband, plus she had a full-time job at a newspaper. If she could find time to write a novel, so can anybody.

You are a prolific writer! How do you keep the momentum going?

My problem isn’t coming up with ideas for novels. It’s which idea to settle on for the long haul. Too often I start a book, only to realize the story is fizzling because it doesn’t have enough energy propelling it forward. So I try to pick what-if scenarios that interest me and that I’m sure others will relate to – from sibling rivalry to losing all your money to feeling stuck in a sinking romantic relationship. I’m also a voracious reader of magazines and blogs to get a sense of what women are talking about. And I listen to what my friends are talking about. Are they having issues with their husbands? Their kids? What’s on their minds? I zero in on a situation that feels right to me and off I go.

Can you give us a sneak peek into what you’re working on now?

I’m working on a novel about a woman who has lost her job and her man and is trying everything to stay afloat – I mean everything. She finally lands a new job, only it turns out to be anything but what she expected. I can’t say any more, but I hope it’ll go smoothly so we can talk about it next time!

Want to know more about this talented author? Go here to peruse her books and visit her blog.

True Love Way by Nancy Scrofano

People who know me well often poke fun at my love for old-school TV shows.  It’s always very awkward at social gatherings when people start talking about shows like Glee or Dancing with the Stars. When the conversation turns to me, I just give them a blank stare and say, “How about that Jessica Fletcher? Did you see her solve the case of the poisoned clam chowder?”  Thanks to my nifty DVR (best invention next to the Ford Taurus!) I no longer have to join the masses in TV Land.  Give me a recycled episode of Murder She Wrote over a dumpy reality show any day! I still don’t know who the Kardashians are and what they’re all about – and I intend to keep it that way!

But I digress…the reason for this rant is that Marlo in True Love Way is a girl after my own heart.  She may be young and hip, but she spends her free time watching I Love Lucy and Shirley Temple movies with her spunky great aunt. She even dyed her hair red to channel her inner Lucile Ball! This girl just loves, loves, loves all things retro. One thing she doesn’t love, however, is change. Who can blame her? Change is scary, especially for those of us who live in our own little nostalgic worlds.

After her ex-boyfriend, Josh, summons her back to Napa, her cushy little life goes into a tailspin.  Her best friend, Nick, isn’t all to gung-ho about her rushing back to the jerk who kicked her to the curb and scurried off to Paris. But despite Nick’s warnings, she’s desperate to get some answers…and possibly rekindle the flame.

Why did he cut and run right when their romance was blossoming? And why did he go 12 long years without calling or writing?  To quote the great Ricky Ricardo, he’s got some splaining to do!

Unwilling to let Marlo roadtrip it alone in her rickety vintage car, Nick decides to tag along. claiming that he needs to visit his sister Savannah. What could be more fun than an impromptu reunion with a bunch of old high school chums in California’s gorgeous wine country? Oh, you’d be surprised.

As soon as they set foot in Napa, things get screwy real fast. Savannah (Marlo’s other BFF) gets weird when Josh enters the picture. They used to be so close back in high school, especially when Marlo helped her raise her child right after graduation. But now it seems as though she’s holding something back…something that could potentially destroy their friendship.

Things go from bad to worse when Josh goes above and beyond to win Marlo’s heart. From balloon rides to romantic picnics to candlelit dinners, he’s pulling out all the stops to get her back. According to the butterflies in her stomach, the chemistry is alive and well. But a niggling feeling in her gut tells her to back off.

And just to make life even more complicated, Nick seems to have a special interest in the leggy, French girl who works behind the counter at his sister’s bakery. Why does he always seem to distract himself with uninteresting women with big boobs and long legs? And more importantly – why do his meaningless flings get under Marlo’s skin?

I’ll stop right here before I give anything away! You’ll have to read the book to find out what’s going on with these crazy kids. Overall, this book is a fun little beach read that will take you on a rollercoaster ride of emotional turmoil. The romance is entertaining, but what really makes the book special is Marlo. Considering our society’s obsession with all things digital, it’s refreshing to come across a character who lives in her own whimsical world of retro pop culture.

My only hangup is that the author didn’t take advantage of Napa’s gorgeous setting. I’ve never been there, but I would love to know what it’s like to soak in the breathtaking hills and valleys, to smell the aroma of vino at a classy winery, to explore a wine cellar lined with oak barrels. Although she touched on some of Napa’s scenic splendor, I would have liked more atmosphere and little less dialogue.

Aside from that minor gripe, True Love Way is definitely worth reading. Nancy Scrofano certainly has some writing chops, and I’m interested to see what she’ll come up with next!  Fans of Emily Giffin and Jane Green are sure to enjoy this charming story about a quirky woman reaching a crossroads in life.