Things are Going to Slide – Rangeley Wallace – Blog Tour Including Giveaway

Today I’m excited to be taking part in the Fiction Addiction Book Tour for Things are Going to Slide by Rangeley Wallace.  Thank you to the author for sending me an e-copy of the book.

“Marilee Carson Cooper, daughter of a prominent southern family, teaches law and runs a law school legal aid clinic in the small Alabama town her family has inhabited for generations.

But then things slip out of her control. She is pregnant with her second child when her husband leaves her for another man. She loses a coveted job–to her first love–that would ensure her financial security, and she is desperately trying to help a teen-age mother accused of murdering her baby.”

I was a little confused about what was going on to begin with but I soon caught up and became particularly interested when Marilee’s ex boyfriend was given the chair in the law clinic she worked at, this was a position that she thought would be given to her.  Her history with Dwight (the ex boyfriend in question) was rocky and she was also heavily pregnant with her now gay husband’s child – talk about a complicated life!  Marilee was a likeable character who I quickly warmed to and actually felt quite sorry for her especially with all the difficulties in her life.

I was fascinated by the legal aspect of the story although as someone who doesn’t have a wide knowledge on the subject I admit that there were a couple of times when I didn’t fully understand things.

The tense working relationship between Marilee and Dwight was very entertaining to read and I can only imagine what it must be like to have your ex turn up at your place of work.  I kind of guessed where they were heading but there were still a few unexpected bumps along the way.

The hurricane scene was a great part of the book, I felt that the author captured the emotions of the characters really well and described everything brilliantly so that I felt like I was there too – scary!  The author also addressed the difficulties of being a working mum and highlighted the issues that they face on a day-to-day basis.

Later on a sinister twist, in the form of a difficult case, had me flipping through the Kindle pages – it was gripping, interesting and took me right to the finish where a satisfying end awaited me.

This was a quick read (just one day) that was thought-provoking and entertaining all at the same time.

Things are Going to Slide is available to buy in the following formats:

 Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo |  Amazon UK |  Amazon Canada

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rangeley Wallace was born in Birmingham, Alabama, and lived there (except for one year of boarding school in Memphis) until she went to college at Emory University in Atlanta. After graduation, she moved north to Washington, D.C., to attend Washington College of Law, American University. The year following, she was a fellow at Georgetown University’s Institute for Public Interest Representation, where she received an LLM.

She never left D.C., much to her surprise, and, in between raising four children and writing books, she has practiced public interest law and corporate law, prosecuted anti-trust and criminal cases, and represented several white collar criminal defendants facing politically motivated charges in federal court. Most recently, she has taught a variety of courses at the Washington College of Law, including legal writing, externship seminar, general practice clinic, and disability rights clinic. For several years she also represented asylum and immigration clients on behalf of CMHS, the Center for Multicultural Human Services.  Currently, she is teaching in the General Practice Clinic at WCL.

Rangeley has written two novels. No Defense and Thing Are Going To Slide.

To find out more about Rangeley Wallace click on the following links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook

GIVEAWAY

You also have the chance to win an e-copy of Things are Going to Slide by clicking on the Rafflecopter link below, following the instructions and leaving a comment on my blog:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

The Housewife Assassin’s Handbook – Josie Brown

“- EVERY DESPERATE HOUSEWIFE WANTS AN ALIAS: Donna Stone has one…and it happens to be government-sanctioned.

- BUT DONNA EARNED IT THE HARD WAY: Her husband was killed the day she delivered their third child.

- TO AVENGE HER HUSBAND’S MURDER: Donna leads a secret life: as an assassin.

- BUT ESPIONAGE MAKES FOR STRANGE BEDFELLOWS: And brings new meaning to that old adage, “Honey, I’m home…”

I was lucky enough to win this eBook from a giveaway on Dizzy C’s Little Book Blog, the blurb sounded interesting and I was looking forward to reading it.

I have to say that this book was even better than I thought it would be – I ended up reading it in just one evening and couldn’t go to sleep until I knew what the outcome would be!  It was action-packed and humorous from the start and that continued throughout, Donna appeared to be struggling with her double life as an assassin and a mum but I was surprised to find out that she hadn’t told anyone (not even the children) that her husband had died.  However, once I had read the explanation for this I understood why.

An unexpected visitor in her house created more problems for Donna and, I think, added another entertaining side to the storyline.  I really enjoyed the mission details and the many twists and turns that kept me glued to my Kindle screen.  Towards the end I did guess where things were heading but that didn’t matter where my enjoyment was concerned because I still couldn’t wait to find out exactly how it would all be revealed.

I was pleased to discover that this is the first of a series and look forward to getting my hands on book two so I can see where life takes Donna and her family next!

The book contained some sexual scenes so if you are likely to be offended by this then it probably isn’t a book for you.

This was an addictive read – gritty but funny at the same time, it definitely hit the mark with me

The Housewife Assassin’s Handbook is currently FREE to download on Kindle from Amazon.

To find out more about Josie Brown click on the following links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook  

The Rose Petal Beach – Dorothy Koomson

“Tami Challey is happily married with two children and a husband she adores.  Affluent and stable, they are the perfect family until one evening a knock at the door changes everything.  Horrified as she watches her husband, Scott, arrested for a terrible crime, Tami’s world unravels further when she discovers who his accuser is.

Scared and confused, Tami is forced to choose who she instinctively believes, while the life she’s built for herself implodes.  As she unearths one new revelation after another and as the hidden lives of those around her are exposed, Tami is forced to make a choice that could lead to murder…”

Firstly I’d like to thank ED Public Relations for sending me this book to read and give an honest review. I’ve enjoyed books by this author in the past and was keen to see where her latest book would take me.

It all began with an arrest that raised many questions in my mind and by the time I discovered just what crime had been committed I was hooked!

Throughout the book there were snippets of the past which made me feel like I understood the characters better but it also made certain revelations harder to take.  I was desperately trying to find a rational reason for everything that was going on and as new information came to light I just didn’t know what to believe – my opinions went back and forth so many times, I was as confused as Tami was.

When Fleur was brought into the equation I couldn’t figure out where she fit in with everything that was happening and when I found out I gasped out loud in shock!  This wasn’t the last shock for me though because the twists just kept on coming, I think there was only one time that I wasn’t too surprised by something I’d learned.

The author captured raw emotion perfectly, with powerful descriptions that made it feel like the characters emotions were rolling off the page at me.  I was completely drawn in and even though the subjects tackled in this book were of a very serious nature I found it to be an easy read.

This was a beautifully written and captivating tale of life, love and deception – I couldn’t put it down!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dorothy Koomson is the international bestselling author of 8 novels and her sales exceed 1.5 million copies in the UK.  Translated into 30 languages, Dorothy’s books are powerful, though-provoking and compelling ‘emotional thrillers’ where moral dilemmas are central and where the complex emotions of family and friendships are intertwined.  The Rose Petal Beach, Dorothy’s 8th novel, was shortlisted for a Specsavers National Book Award in 2012.

To find out more about Dorothy Koomson click the following links:

Website | Facebook | Twitter

The Rose Petal Beach was published in paperback by Quercus on 11 April 2013 and can be purchased from The Book Depository, Amazon or from most good book retailers.

Nobody’s Damsel – E.M. Tippetts

“Chloe and Jason are back in Albuquerque for her new job as a forensic scientist with the Albuquerque Police Department, only, her first case is a crime against a child.

Back when she was a childhood crime survivor, it never occurred to her how difficult it was for the adults working against the clock, fighting for control of the outcome. Add to this a tabloid scandal that claims Jason is having an affair with his costar, and Chloe’s struggle to come to terms with a heartbreaking case gets splashed all across the headlines.”

Firstly I’d like to thank the author for sending me an ARC to read and give an honest review.  This is the sequel to Someone Else’s Fairytale which I reviewed here.  I had wanted to know what happened next in Chloe’s life so was excited to find out that this sequel had been written, I was even more excited to learn that the author plans on turning this into a series!

This time around Chloe and Jason were facing the kind of obstacles that I would imagine any kind of celebrity romance would face – rumours of cheating, press intrusion and work commitments etc.  The cheating rumour was like a big question mark hanging over the story, I didn’t want to believe that Jason was not being faithful because I really liked Chloe but the signs weren’t looking good.

The style of writing was comfortable and I quickly found myself back in Chloe and Jason’s world, I loved Chloe’s new career as a forensic scientist because it gave an edge to the storyline and after what had been revealed in the previous book it made complete sense to me.

This was much more intense than the first book and I enjoyed the criminal side to it even though there were some parts that I found difficult to read.  One particular moment had tears running down my face because I had become so caught up in what was going on in the storyline.  It was an extremely difficult subject to tackle but I felt that the author handled it perfectly with just the right amount of detail.

There was a screen play running throughout the chapters which was clearly based on the main story – this confused me to begin with and it wasn’t until near the end that I fully understood what this was all about, it was a clever way of bringing Chloe and Jason’s careers together.  Combining the worlds of a celebrity and a forensic scientist was brilliant and I really enjoyed it when the two blended together, the idea of celebrity connections helping to solve a case was fantastic in my opinion.

I didn’t think there was as much romance in this book but it didn’t matter because it was just as compelling, I couldn’t stop reading and actually ended up finishing it in just a few hours!  I’m looking forward to the next in the series and seeing where life takes Chloe and Jason next.

This was a gritty and enjoyable book that gripped me from the very first page.

Nobody’s Damsel is released today and is available to buy from Amazon UK
and Amazon US.

To find out more about E.M. Tippetts visit her Blog, Facebook page or Twitter page.

The Jewels of Manhattan – Carmen Reid

“Like all crazy plans, it was plotted out on a cocktail napkin.

1. Steal fabulous jewels

2. Sell for millions

3. Live happily ever after

Brilliant and oh so simple … when you’re a few Cosmopolitans down.

Not quite so easy … if you’ve never stolen anything before, and you’re dating a detective.

The three Jewel sisters, Amber, Sapphire and Em, came to New York in search of the perfect life.  But do they have to steal their dream?  Or can they resist the temptation?”

This was an impulse buy, I loved the cover and the blurb intrigued me so I went ahead and got it (welcome to the simple world of my book buying requirements!).

The action started straight away with Amber and Sapphire becoming caught up in the middle of an armed robbery – this was a great way to start the book because it meant that I was hooked immediately.  There were lots of laugh out loud moments throughout and there were many times that I found myself shaking my head in disbelief at some of their actions, I was willing them to make the right choice!

Amber was my favourite character, at the beginning I would’ve said she was the most level-headed sister but as the story progressed she seemed to get swept along with all the mad things that Em had started.  Speaking of Em, I’m afraid I didn’t like her at all – I was waiting for her to have some redeeming qualities that I could warm to but it just never happened.  Sapphire was much more likeable, she was very innocent and childlike in some ways and I found this rather endearing.

There were lots of predictable moments but this didn’t affect my enjoyment in the slightest, I just loved the whole idea and the comfortable style of writing made it easy for me to read.  This kind of unbelievable storyline is the perfect example of why I love reading fiction so much – it’s great to escape to a bit of unreal craziness now and then.

This was a light-hearted read that I was addicted to from the very start.

The Jewels of Manhattan can be purchased from The Book Depository, Amazon or from most good book retailers.

To find out more about Carmen Reid visit her website here.

Chelsea Wives – Anna-Lou Weatherley

“They are the ultimate ladies who lunch: Imogen, the beautiful ex-model, Calvary, the glamorous, former fashion editor.  And Yasmin, the feisty ex-party girl.

But life isn’t all champagne and canapés.  Plagued by personal tragedy and united by failing marriages, they mastermind a shocking plan to turn the tables on their husbands.  The Chelsea wives are about to get their own back.”

I was lucky enough to win this paperback book from a giveaway on Dizzy C’s Little Book Blog.

The prologue was promising, it was very intriguing and left me with all sorts of explanations running through my mind, after that I found it a struggle to fully get involved with the story and its characters. This didn’t last too long though and I soon became rather caught up in the glamorous world of the Chelsea wives.

After initially feeling irritated by the three main characters, I was surprised to find myself utterly fascinated by them.  Once I had discovered more about their lives and realised that there was a lot more depth to each of them I found it easier to connect.  Their crazy world was so completely different to my own, full of money, deception and lies – something that I admit was difficult to read about at times, but definitely gave an edge to the storyline.

It was the master-plan for revenge that ultimately captured my attention with this book, during the build-up to the main event I was very keen to find out how it would work and finally watching it all unfold was very exciting!  The whole plan was like a female version of Oceans Eleven

There was an unexpected turn of events towards the end that made it impossible to put the book down, I simply had to know how things would turn out and I’m happy to say that once I reached the end I was satisfied with the outcome.

The book contained quite a few sex scenes with the occasional bout of drug use and swearing so obviously if this is likely to offend you then I don’t think this book will be for you.

This was an enjoyable book – glamour and mystery all mixed together!

Chelsea Wives can be purchased from The Book Depository, Amazon or from most good book retailers.

Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick – Joe Schreiber

” ‘You shot him.  You totally just shot that guy back there.  I think I’m gonna throw up.’

ONE ORDINARY GUY

ONE FEMALE ASSASSIN

FIVE TARGETS BY DAYBREAK

When Gobi lands in Perry’s life, she rips it apart like a bombshell.”

I was lucky enough to win this paperback book from a giveaway run by Bliss Magazine.

I loved the title but wasn’t sure what to expect from this and to be honest I don’t think I would have picked it up if I had seen it for sale in a shop.  This is why I’m glad I won the book because it was a fantastic read and I would’ve missed out!

The prologue confused me and intrigued me all at the same time but it also hinted at some real excitement to come so I carried on turning those pages.

The story was told from Perry’s point of view and to begin with he told us that there was a female foreign exchange student staying with him and his family called Gobi.  At this time she was a strange girl who repeatedly passed out for some unknown reason and I couldn’t figure out how this book was going to get exciting.  Then the prom arrived and everything clicked into place, from that moment on I was hooked and everything Gobi said or did completely fascinated me.

I was biting my nails at Gobi’s deadly antics and laughing at Perry’s reaction to most of it, I found that I could picture the whole book really easily and I think it would make a great movie!  As the reader, my questions mirrored Perry’s – I wanted to know who Gobi really was and why she was on a killing spree. When her background and motives were revealed it made unpleasant reading but I then felt like I understood her character better.

This was fast-paced and action-packed, being quite a short book I read it from start to finish in just a few hours.  I definitely want to read the next book Ciao For Now, Crazy European Chick.

Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick can be purchased from The Book Depository, Amazon or from most good book retailers.

To find out more about Joe Schreiber visit his blog here.

Insatiable – Meg Cabot

“Sick of hearing about vampires? So is Meena Harper.

Meena Harper is familiar with the supernatural.  After all, she knows how you’re going to die. (Not that you’ll believe her.  No one ever does.)

But while she’s always been able to see everyone else’s destiny, she’s never been able to look into her own.  Maybe that’s why when she meets Lucien Antonescu – a modern-day prince who also has no destiny that she can foresee – she’s instantly attracted.

The trouble is, when an ancient society of vampire hunters shows up at Meena’s door looking for Lucien, she’s forced to face the truth: that her dream boyfriend might turn out to be more of a nightmare.

So now would be a good time for Meena to start learning to predict her own future … if she has one.”

I really enjoyed reading Meg Cabot’s Abandon (review here) so I was looking forward to this book, especially after reading its intriguing synopsis.  It certainly didn’t disappoint because it was a fantastic read!

I know there are many people who are fed up with the whole vampire scene but I still love it, every new vampire story I get stuck into just completely captures my imagination and I struggle to stop reading.  This book was no different, it was addictive and nail-biting with so many twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat.  I’m pretty sure you can guess that I read this in just one day so it will be joining the ever-growing one-day read list.

Meena was a very interesting character, she had a fascinating yet cruel ability where she could see how people were going to die.  From the very first chapter it’s clear that she sees this ability as a curse and it’s very obvious why – my heart sank as I read the last sentence of the first chapter.  She soon found herself in the middle of something that was both exciting and scary at the same time, I don’t think she realised what she had gotten herself into until it was too late!

I really liked Alaric the vampire hunter, he was a lonely but short-tempered character and I just enjoyed the part he played in the book.  I particularly enjoyed his first meeting with Meena and her brother Jon, it was funny to me because I could picture the craziness of that moment so vividly in my mind.

I had very mixed feelings towards the vampires in this book, I just couldn’t decide if I liked them or not.  Lucien in particular was difficult to figure out, even after I had finished reading I didn’t feel sure about his intentions.

Each chapter started with the time, date and location – I really liked this because it made it easier for me to keep up with the story.

The ending was unexpected in a good way, I thought certain things were going to happen and they didn’t so I am looking forward to reading the next book Overbite to find out what happens next.

This is a dark and alluring vampire tale that had me hooked from the start.

Insatiable can be purchased from The Book Depository, Amazon
or from most good book retailers.

To find out more about Meg Cabot visit her blog here.

All These Things I’ve Done – Gabrielle Zevin

“New York 2082.  When Anya is arrested for attempted murder, the District Attorney offers her a choice: stay away from his son or watch helplessly as he destroys her family.  It should be a straightforward decision.  Except that the DA’s son is the boy Anya loves, and her family is at the dark heart of the city’s criminal underworld.

Anya must choose between love and loyalty, knowing that whatever she decides will have shattering consequences: heartbreak or a gangland war that will tear the city apart.”

I had read some good reviews for this book so I decided to try it for myself.  This is the first book in Gabrielle Zevin’s Birthright trilogy.

The story is set in a future world that has many restrictions on basic things that we take for granted, I have to admit that I struggled to imagine chocolate ever being an illegal product!

Anya, along with her brother and sister, had been through a lot in their short lives thanks to their connection to New York’s criminal underworld.  Anya tried to take charge of any bad situations because she was fiercely protective of her family and I loved this side of her.  She seemed to switch between being a tough character who thought she could take on the world, to a sensitive catholic girl who needed as much help and guidance as she could get.

Reading about the time Anya spent in Liberty children’s facility was uncomfortable, knowing that she didn’t deserve any of it made it even more difficult to read.

I liked the relationship between Anya and Win, it didn’t happen instantly like many other books that I have read (not that don’t like that kind of instant attraction, it just wouldn’t have been right for these characters), instead their relationship progressed over a period of time.

This book was written as though Anya was talking to you, the reader, and I really enjoyed this style of writing.

Towards the end Anya had some very difficult decisions to make and I wasn’t really surprised at what she decided to do.  The end itself left so many possible scenarios for the next book rushing around in my mind.

An intriguing tale of forbidden love and family loyalty, I can’t wait to see what is in store for Anya in the next book.

All These Things I’ve Done can be purchased here with free worldwide delivery.

To find out more about Gabrielle Zevin visit her website here.

Slide – Jill Hathaway

“Vee Bell hates having narcolepsy.  But collapsing at school is nowhere near as bad as the truth – when Vee passes out she slides into other people’s heads and ends up seeing through their eyes.  Then Vee finds herself in the head of a killer, standing over the body of a cheerleader.

Now another cheerleader is dead, and everyone is a suspect.  Struggling to understand her terrifying and unwanted ‘gift’, Vee is tangled in a web of secrets, lies and danger …”

When I read the synopsis of this book I knew I had to read it, the idea of ‘sliding’ really intrigued me because it is very different to anything I’ve read before.

Vee has all the usual high school issues and on top of that she finds herself sliding into people’s minds at the most inconvenient times – her strange first kiss and a disastrous homecoming dance being just a couple of those times.  She feels very alone because of this secret she carries around with her and she feels unable to tell anyone about it after her dad dismissed it as attention seeking.

The moment she slid into the mind of a killer made great reading, it was so intense and I felt like I could feel the fear and panic that Vee was feeling.  Trying to figure out who the killer might be was truly nail-biting, my theories as to who it was kept on changing and I just couldn’t stop reading because I had to find out, this meant that I read the book in just a few hours.

I was intrigued by the relationship between Vee and Rollins because he seemed to be keeping secrets and then as the story progressed I was interested to see how her relationship with Zane would turn out, he seemed a little bit too perfect for my liking.

As Vee gets closer to discovering who the killer is she also manages to uncover a few shocking secrets that are vital to the story.  Towards the end one of the theories I had about the killer seemed to be piecing together nicely so that I thought I had predicted correctly, but it turned out that I was wrong and I was actually quite surprised to see who it really was!

After I had finished the book I definitely had the feeling that I wanted more from these characters, I felt that there could be a lot more ahead for them so I was pleased to discover that there will be a sequel called Imposter which is due to be released in Spring 2013, I’m really looking forward to it.

An intriguing and exciting read that I just couldn’t put down.

Slide can be purchased here or from most good book retailers.

To find out more about Jill Hathaway visit her website here.