Marie Bostwick’s fourth Cobbled Quilt novel, Threading the Needle, is touching.  A simple statement, but in this case it’s heartfelt … I was moved.  Yes, I frequently cry at Hallmark commercials.  I weep openly over the latest episode of Grey’s Anatomy.  It doesn’t take much to move me, but in this case, the story was genuine.  Tess and Madelyn are two former friends who, decades later, find themselves back in their small hometown trying to cope with divorce, recession, and self-reinvention. 

What Bostwick does is create a fast-paced summer read that feels like a sequel to her previous novels without leaving a new reader confused.  The story is timely (wallstreet and recession), it speaks to the local movement (support smaller business), it gently touches on the subject of faith without any alienation.  Five lucky listeners have now picked up a complimetary copy from Kensington Books!  Tell me what you thought?  Did you get misty-eyed?  Feel like calling up a long lost friend?

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Justice has been served!  I just finished Wicked Lies last night (after a kickboxing class and bowling).  I know three lucky listeners have already scored a free copy of the novel in our Platinum Boutique.  I’m excited to hear what you think.  I loved it.  I like a good murder mystery, especially when it wraps up with a happy ending (spoiler alert).
 
Or was it?  I like epilogues.  I’m a curious reader.  I want to know what happens to the characters after the main story ends and a well written epilogue gives us this little bit of insight.  Wicked Lies’ epilogue created a whole new mystery … leaving the door wide open for another Siren Song story.  Although I’m sure Harrison and Lorelei get their “happily ever after,” you can’t be certain because all of a sudden there’s another dead body and more questions.  Tricky.
 
The first novel in our EZ Rock Summer Reading Series has set the bar high!  If you haven’t visited ezrocktimmins.com and listened to our exclusive interview with Lisa Jackson and Nancy Bush, I highly recommend it.  More copies of Wicked Lies will be available next week in the Platinum Boutique.  We’ll have a new novel from Kensington Books coming up on June 27th.  Recent reviews call it an “exuberant celebration of life, love, family and friendship, told with a sassy Texas flair.”  Sounds brilliant.
 
 

Happy Reading
 

~ Promo 

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Lisa Jackson and Nancy Bush are causing hydro costs to skyrocket at my house … because as I race through the pages of Wicked Lies, every light in my home is turned on … it’s that creepy.  Wicked Lies is one part supernatural thriller and one part gritty crime drama … with a hunky hero and innocent (yet steely) heroine thrown in for good measure. 

I like my summer novels to be fast-paced, absorbing, the kind of book that makes me forget the swarms of northern black flies chewing me alive … and Wicked Lies delivers.  I started reading it on Saturday morning and found myself 265 pages in at midnight on Sunday.  Every chore, friendly phone call, or bathroom break that interrupted my marathon reading sprint was met with disdain.  It’s good.  You’ll like it. 

Lorelei Adderly is a nurse in Oregon.  Twilight fans will remember that Oregon is known for rain, fog, and the kind of heavy seafaring weather perfect for all things spooky.  Lorelei is an outside member of a local ”cult” called Siren Song … a group of mysterious women shut off from the modern world and hunted by a psychotic, escaped convict.  Enter Harrison Frost.  Rugged, disgraced reporter hell-bent on redeeming his soiled reputation and haunted by his own demons of a murdered brother-in-law.  There’s just enough romantic attraction to make you sit up and take notice, without having any over-the-top, “love at first site” theatrics.  There’s a kiss!  One kiss in the first 265 pages.  On a foggy beach.  Fraught with just a little bit of peril. 

Pick up a copy for yourself online in our Platinum Boutique.  I’ll continuing reading and we’ll meet back here to discuss what is sure to be an awesome ending.

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Daria Salamon – The Prairie Bridesmaid

Thirty-something Anna is a frustrated high school teacher who’s giving her boyfriend the boot, getting therapy from a rogue squirrel, and plotting the demise of her best-friend Bridezilla.  Salamon’s The Prairie Bridesmaid is a story of self-discovery and one that any woman of a certain age can relate to.  Pre-break-up or post, Anna’s journey explores what makes a “bad” relationship bad.  Her boyfriend is no prince.  He’s perfected the art of the guilt-trip.  After 10 years of sacrificing her own happiness for his, Anna’s had enough.  When she ships him off on a work assignment, she uses the opportunity to clean house.

First impressions weren’t favourable.  I tend to read as an escape.  I like books with plot lines that vary wildly from my own real life.  This one didn’t … and it threw me off.  But as I continued to read, I began to appreciate how Salamon brings Anna’s whole life into focus.  There’s the “bad” relationship and how she’s dealing with it.  There’s her aging grandmother … her last real connection to childhood.  There’s her job.  There’s her friends.  All of it may seem like too much, but then that IS reality.  Most thirty-something women ARE constantly bombarded with a string of expectations … partners, work, friends, family … and what Salamon does is bring the underlying issues into focus. 

Why did Anna stick it out in a bad relationship?  Was she addicted to the drama?  Was she defined by the dysfunction?  Why is Anna a school teacher?  She has no enthusiasm for the job … it’s a role she fell into to support herself, but there’s little passion.  How many of us can relate?  Anna’s friends begin to represent facets of Anna’s own personality.  But don’t let this over-analysis fool you … The Prairie Bridesmaid is also funny and witty and self-deprecating.  You can breeze through it and enjoy the comic relief of Buddy the Squirrel. 

Special note – when you purchase the book, your UPS code gives you access to a free soundtrack.  Salamon has chosen songs that reflect the mood of her novel and heighten the reader’s experience.  Great idea!  I hope more author’s steal the idea.

EZ ROCK BONUS CODE: Enter the bonus code “BUDDY” before midnight on Sunday, August 8th to collect 500 Platinum VIP points.

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“Love Struck” – Chantel Simmons

If you loved the Bridget Jones and Shopaholic novels, you’ll love Chantal Simmons’ “Love Struck.”  It’s a snappy little chick-lit piece that perfectly accompanies a trip to the cottage or a spot on the beach.  Before 27-year old Poppy Ross can confront her cheating husband, he’s struck by lightening and wakes up a reformed man … affair forgotten.  It’s a great scenario.  What woman scorned doesn’t wish for a giant lightening bolt to solve life’s problems?  What makes this book interesting is Poppy’s reaction.  Following in the footsteps of Ms. Jones herself, Poppy becomes convinced that the only way to “save her marriage” is to re-make herself over in the image of the mistress.  We then follow Poppy through a series of makeover mishaps that leave her chafing, raw, overly sensitive, and in more of a mess than ever.

Here’s what I liked: the story line didn’t give me a sense of deja vu.  The reformed husband, although seemingly a cheater, becomes the more likeable character.  You want to hate him, but you can’t because Poppy’s become self-absorbed and nuerotic.  The Toronto setting is just the right amount of cosmopolitan.  The mistress is trashy, which makes the rest of us feel better.  What small complaint I could have comes in the form of the ex-boyfriend, Diesel.  He’s typically handsome, successful, and regrets being a jerk just enough to stir up more trouble for Poppy.  I think the novel would have been just as entertaining without his meddling.

Love Struck is definitely worth the read if you’re looking for something fun and light this summer.  Win a free copy of Love Struck frm Key Porter Books online in our EZ Rock VIP Boutique starting this Friday on www.ezrocktimmins.com. 

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‘Look Again’ by Lisa Scottoline.

As mentioned in Andy’s review, the reader is well aware of the story within the first paragraph of the book.  Ellen receives a card in the mail about a missing child that looks a lot like her adopted son.  The questions then start coming out: what should she do?  What would YOU do?  How far should she go to find out the truth?

The book is written in short, concise chapters – the perfect format for a summer read.   It’s a book that you can pick up and easily read a few chapters, put it down, and easily pick it up again.  This format almost reminds me of ‘scenes’ in a movie rather than a book, but the flow is a quick-pace that’s ideal for reading while out camping, or relaxing on the back deck.

I was a bit surprised by Ellen’s actions to find out the truth throughout the novel – she claims her ‘journalistic’ background leads her to do the things she does.  I’m a journalist, and I’m not sure I would go to the extent she did in the novel.  However, once I finished the novel I understood how every action she did lead to the ending (in my mind a bit surprising, but good).

‘Look Again’ tells a good story and is certainly a page-turner.  It’s certainly worth reading in my opinion.

- Martha

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Lisa Scottoline has written a novel that rivals any other I’ve read, in terms of pace. By the end of the first paragraph, the main crisis is established: Ellen Gleeson, single mother, receives a ‘missing child’ mailer, and the boy on it looks identical to her adopted son, Will. The picture jolts Ellen, and her concerns, fears and questions are not abated until the final page.

Adding to the conflict are Ellen’s work woes (a round of layoffs at her newspaper job, with one more still to come – hers?), a potential romantic interest in her boss, and a distant but loving father. Ellen’s natural journalistic curiosity entwines itself in her personal crisis, and the quest to discover the truth behind the identity of the boy on the ‘missing child’ card begins to take over every aspect of her life. Is the child her son? Was her adoption legitimate? If he is the missing boy, to whom does he belong?

Ellen’s search for answers takes her down a path that twists into deeper and darker territory the further it goes. Though most of the novel’s great surprises happen in the latter half, where the clues and connections begin to pile up, it’s also where the story takes a bit of a stumble. Ellen’s attempts at unearthing the answers of her son’s identity border on the absurd at times (a sequence that finds her stalking someone for a DNA sample comes to mind). At these moments, it’s difficult to empathize with her character.

The novel builds to a heart-stopping climax, and the threads of the story begin to come together. By the end, I found myself back on Ellen’s side.

Look Again moves forward from its opening moments with a momentum that never lets up, and raises some heart-wrenching questions about custody rights, and morality. While there are moments I found myself suspending my disbelief, it is overall a great summer read!

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I love to read all year round, especially in the summer.  There’s nothing better than sitting outside in the fresh air (either in a back yard or out in the bush while camping), and reading a good book.  I’m so pleased the radio station is doing a summer reading series, and was more than happy to take part.

***NOTE – this review does contain a few spoilers, so if you have the book but haven’t read it yet, do so before reading this review. Trust me – it’s a great book and I read it very quickly (mainly because I couldn’t put it down!)***

The first read in the EZRock Summer Reading Series: Emily Giffin’s ‘The Heart of the Matter’.  One thing I liked about this book is that the story is real, and captures the emotion each character is going through.  The book is told from two points of view – Tessa and Valarie.  Valarie’s son gets in an accident and his surgeon is Nick, Tessa’s husband.  Though the two live in the same area, their lives don’t overlap until Valarie eventually has an affair with Nick.  I didn’t think Giffin could possibly find a positive ending to this book, but she brings out Tessa and Valarie’s true character and the act of communication, forgiveness, and moving on.  It really gives you something to think about as most people probably wouldn’t know how they would react in the situation until they’re in it.

I do have a few questions for Giffin (and I will be posting an audio interview with her I will be doing in a few weeks – feel free to comment or send me any questions you have about the book).

As mentioned earlier, we only hear Tessa and Valarie’s side of the story.  We hear a lot about Nick through the two women, but we never hear Nick’s side of the story.  I still want to know exactly why he had the affair.  Was it because he was so unhappy in his marriage with Tessa, or did Valarie strike him in such a way he couldn’t resist?

Also, when Tessa found out her husband was having an affair I thought she handled it extremely well.  She did ask Nick to leave (no surprise there), but in the end they were able to work it out through communication.  Giffin makes a point to mention Tessa’s parents went through a messy divorce that was prompted by an affair.  Tessa’s mother reacted by not only kicking her husband out, but by taking a bat to his car.  What did Tessa learn about marriage and separation through her mother’s actions?

Valarie’s character continuously focuses on everyday actions and how they impact later moments in your life.  Valarie, a single parent is very protective of her son and at the beginning of the book doesn’t want him to go to a sleepover (he does – with some encouragement from his uncle and an accident leads to him being in the hospital).  What message is Giffin trying to send to the reader about everyday decisions and how they affect your life?

Overall, it was a great book and I really enjoyed reading it.  As mentioned earlier, I really didn’t think Giffin was going to finish the book with a good ending – in fact, when I had about 30 pages left to read I even mentioned to my roommate that I was pretty sure the book was going to end on a negative note.  Giffin does a great job of portraying the thoughts of both characters and I really liked how each chapter switched back and forth between the two thoughts of Tessa and Valarie.

You can pick up ‘Heart of the Matter’ at Coles in the Timmins Square.  Give it a read and let me know what you think!

- Martha

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