Books are food for my soul! Pull up a beach chair and stick your toes in the sand as the Jersey surf rolls in and out, now open your book and let your imagination take you away.

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Stella & Dane: A Honky Tonk Romance by Deanna Roy (Book Review / Contest Giveaway)

In association with Goddess Fish Promotions, Jersey Girl Book Reviews welcomes Deanna Roy, author of Stella & Dane: A Honky Tonk Romance!




Stella & Dane: A Honky Tonk Romance by Deanna Roy
Publisher: Casey Shay Press
Publication Date: July 14, 2012
Format: Paperback - 260 pages / Kindle - 395 KB
ISBN: 1938150031
ASIN: B008LO401M
Genre: Contemporary Romance / Women's Fiction



About The Author



Deanna Roy is the author of numerous novels, short works, and books for children. She is the author of Baby Dust and Stella & Dane. Her articles and short stories have been published in many magazines including The Writer magazine, The First Line, and publications by SCBWI and the Writers' League of Texas. Her best work has been collected into a short story collection Single Edged Blades. She also works as a professional photographer.

She lives in Austin, Texas, with her two daughters and new husband.

AUTHOR WEBSITE
FACEBOOK
TWITTER
GOODREADS
Deanna Roy's Stella & Dane Virtual Book Tour Page On Goddess Fish Promotions



Virtual Book Tour Contest Giveaway

Win A $25 Amazon Gift Card

Author Deanna Roy will be awarding a $25 Amazon gift card to one (1) randomly drawn commenter during the virtual book tour. To enter the contest giveaway: comment on each blog stop, the more comments you post, the more chances to win! 






Book Review



BUY THE BOOK: Stella & Roy: A Honky Tonk Romance


Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Goddess Fish Promotions. 


Book Description:

Stella is one step from leaving her honky tonk town when bad-boy Dane roars through Main Street on his prized Harley-Davidson. Their dangerous romance keeps the locals talking, but when Dane is sent to prison for manslaughter after a bar fight, the couple discovers their love runs deeper than their reputations.


Book Excerpt:

They cut across the yard and pushed through a broken-down gate. Stella dug through her purse and pulled out her keys. Dane leaned the bike against the house. The moon slid behind a cloud, pitching them into near-blackness. Stella dropped the keys and cursed. He felt his way along the house, tripping over a coil of garden hose.

The landscape brightened again, and Stella fumbled with the door. “I don’t get it,” she said.

He came up behind her on the stoop. “Get what?”

“The key. It isn’t working.”

“Here.” He fished his own keys from his pocket and twisted a tiny light hanging on the chain.

“Sure it’s the right one?”

“I’ve been going in this door all my life.”

He shone the light on the lock. “It’s new.”

“What?”

Stella crowded in. “Oh my God. She changed the locks. My mother changed the locks.”

Dane squeezed her arm. “She’s upset, Stell, that’s all.”

Stella turned and leaned her back on the door. “She locked me out of the only place I ever called home.”

Dane could feel the trembling in her legs. “I’ll get you in. Not like a little lock can stop someone like me.”


My Book Review:

Twenty-two year old wild child Stella has been planning her escape from her small Ozark Mountains hometown of Holly, Missouri, for a bigger city for years. She even has a binder filled with photos and postcards of cities that holds her interest: St. Louis, Houston and New York. The only thing that has kept Stella from leaving is her beloved Grandma Angie, who has terminal lung cancer. Then a hunky bad boy on a Harley named Dane strolls into the perfume shop where she works and has her thinking maybe it would be worth staying in this one-horse town after all. Only problem is Dane has hooked up with a local skank named Darlene, but that doesn't stop the mutual attraction between Stella and Dane. One very HOT rendezvous on the town's water tower between Stella and Dane will cause a ruckus in the small town where everyone knows what goes on, and it will lead to a fatal encounter that will send Dane to prison and test the bonds of their love for each other.

Stella & Dane: A Honky Tonk Romance is a moving contemporary romance story that will take you on an emotional roller coaster ride. Set in the small Ozark Mountains town of Holly, Missouri, this passionate story is told in the third person narrative, and engages the reader to follow Stella and Dane's long journey of love and devotion. This isn't your ordinary love story, it has so much raw emotion, intensity, drama, passion, twists and turns that keeps the reader riveted as Stella and Dane overcome many obstacles along the way.

Rich in detail and vivid descriptions, the author easily transports the reader to the scenic Ozark Mountains and small town life in Holly, Missouri. As a fan of reading about small southern and mid-western towns, I really enjoyed the descriptions of the small town setting, I could close my eyes and picture the town of Holly with it's Main Street and shops and of course the water tower (that incredible scene will forever be in my mind... lol). If you're from a small town, you certainly can relate to the quaint environment, simple living and small town mentality of the townsfolk. I especially loved that the story takes place during the 1980s, there were so many memorable things from that decade mentioned in the story (like big hair and Aqua Net hairspray, songs from that decade, and the fashion style - jelly shoes, mini skirts and off the shoulder flashdance sweatshirts), it was like taking a fun stroll down memory lane.

The author has created a cast of characters who are realistic, intriguing, complex people who are easy to relate to. I loved Stella and Dane's characters, they simply intrigued me from the start. Their strengths, flaws, wildness, and passion won me over ... I just love reading about wild childs and bad boys! You can't help but feel for them as they work through the hard times and obstacles that come their way, cheering for them and hoping that their love for each other will prevail. I also enjoyed the supporting cast of characters: quirky Beatrice the perfume shop owner kept me in stitches; Grandma Angie simply stole my heart, I loved the special relationship she shared with Stella. I would be remiss if I didn't mention the characters I didn't like: skanky Darlene, every town has one of these women; and Vivian, Stella's overbearing and insensitive mother annoyed the hell out of me. The character's dialogue and interactions throughout the story made it a dramatic and entertaining read.

Stella & Dane is an amazing love story that simply captivates you from the beginning and holds you captive until the conclusion. This emotional story packs a powerful punch, the passion and intensity of Stella and Dane's love is inspiring and will resonate with you long after the last page has been read.


RATING: 5 STARS *****










25 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Thank you for the opportunity to read, review and host the virtual book tour event.

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  2. Reading through the post, it seems like there is a wonderful cast of memorable characters. I'm looking forward to meeting them.

    marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com

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    1. Hi Marybelle! Thank you for stopping by! The author created a really great cast of characters, you'll love the book. :)

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  3. I had a bad boy in my life once. I can really relate to this story.

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    1. Hi MomJane, thanks for stopping by! Gotta love those bad boys! There was a lot that I could relate to in the book. :)

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  4. What a beautiful blog! And such a review! I had a blast with the 80s--couldn't resist getting Madonna's Like a Virgin MTV performance mentioned in there!

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    1. Hi Deanna! Thank you for the kind comment. I loved the story and the walk down the 80s memory lane was a blast. I remember Madonna's MTV performance and went to her Like a Virgin tour concert in Philly ... geez showing my age! Thank you for the opportunity to read, review and host your virtual book tour event. I bought Baby Dust and can't wait to read it. :)

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  5. Wow! Very nice review. I love your blog!

    chrysrawr@yahoo.com

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  6. The review makes it sound very impressive--good to know!

    vitajex(at)aol(dot)com

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    Replies
    1. Thank you for stopping by, hope you get a chance to read the book. :)

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  7. Thanks for the great review. I love how easy to read your excerpt and review was

    fencingromein at hotmail dot com

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    1. Hi Shannon! Thank you for the kind comment and for stopping by. I love to provide book review posts that have a bit of everything for other readers so that they can decide if they want to read the book. :)

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  8. Fun review! I loved the supporting characters too.

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    1. Hi Marianne! Thank you for the kind comment and for stopping by. I really enjoyed the characters, I love when they draw you into the story. :)

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  9. Great book. Reading this book will make you laugh and cry.

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    1. Hi Susie! I agree, it really was a good book that made me feel the gamut of emotions. Thank you for stopping by! :)

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  10. What a great review, Kathleen! They say that a cool front is heading our way. The Brunswick County, NC weather is going to be absolutely GORGEOUS Sunday through at least Wednesday. You should make your way South!

    I love secondary characters like Grandma Angie. They're so important to stories.
    catherinelee100 at gmail dot com

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    1. Hi Catherine! Thanks for stopping by and posting your kind comments. I was just on the phone with my cousin who lives in Leland, NC. Wish we could take a mini road trip down to our house. *sigh*

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  11. this might be a good book to read and might be a tear jerker I've got soft spot in this kind of book Blogging Profit Unleashed

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    1. Thank you for stopping by and commenting. This was a great book, it did pull at your emotions in different parts of the book.

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  12. I read this after reading Baby Dust and loved reading the love story of Stella and Dane!

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    1. Hi Melissa! I have Baby Dust on my TBR list, and can't wait to read it. Thank you for stopping by and commenting! :)

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