Blue Straggler by Kathy Lynn Harris

Blue Straggler by Kathy Lynn Harris
Published By: 30 Day Books
Release Date: August 6, 2011
Format: Paperback - 337 pages / Kindle - 315 KB
ISBN: 0983170142
ASIN: B005G9ZNF2
Genre: Women's Fiction / Chick Lit / Contemporary Fiction


About The Author:

Kathy Lynn Harris grew up in rural South Texas - and comes from people who work hard, love the land and know how to have a good time on a Saturday night. As a writer, Kathy was lucky to have been surrounded by exceptional characters throughout her life, many of whom have lived their lives exactly the way they wanted. The rest of the world could take 'em or leave 'em! Inspiring, to say the least.

In 2001, Kathy made the move from Texas to the Colorado Rockies to focus on her writing and soak up All Things Mountain. She lives in an authentic log cabin near the southernmost glacier in North America, at 10,500 feet above sea level, with her husband and son, plus two fairly untrainable golden retriever mixes. It is there that she writes.


AUTHOR WEBSITE
FACEBOOK
TWITTER
GOODREADS
Kathy Lynn Harris' Blue Straggler Virtual Book Tour Page On Chick Lit Plus


BUY THE BOOK: Blue Straggler
AMAZON
BARNES & NOBLE


Disclaimer: Upon the request of the author and Chick Lit Plus, a Kindle edition of the book was sent, at no cost to me, for my honest review and participation in the virtual book tour event.

Virtual Book Tour Event: On Monday, April 16, 2012, in association with Chick Lit Plus, author Kathy Lynn Harris participated in a virtual book tour event with an Author Guest Post on Jersey Girl Book Reviews. http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2012/04/author-guest-post-kathy-lynn-harris.html


Blue Straggler Book Trailer

Blue Straggler Virtual Book Tour Contest

To enter the contest, clink on the link below an leave a comment on Kathy Lynn Harris' Blue Straggler Tour Page on Chick Lit Plus, to win a $10 Amazon gift card! If you purchase your copy of Blue Straggler before April 30th and send your receipt to Samantha@ChickLitPlus.com you will get five (5) bonus entries!

Kathy Lynn Harris' Blue Straggler Virtual Book Tour Page On Chick Lit Plus

Book Description:

A blue straggler is a star that has an anomalous blue color and appears to be disconnected from those stars that surround it. 

But this is not a story about astronomy.

Bailey Miller is "disconnected" from the cluster of her rural south Texas family. She has never quite fit in and now in her 30s, she finds herself struggling with inner turmoil and a series of bad choices in her life. 

Bailey's drinking too much (even for a member of her family), has a penchant to eat spoonfuls of Cool Whip, works in a job that bores her beyond description and can't keep a relationship longer than it takes for milk to expire in her fridge. 

Even with the help of her two outspoken friends, Texas gal Idamarie and her quirky college pal Rudy, she's having a hard time.

So she packs up her Honda and heads out of Texas in search of herself and answers to secrets from her great-grandmother's past. The novel takes readers on a journey from San Antonio, Texas, to a small mountain town in Colorado and back again, as Bailey uncovers not only the secrets of her great-grandmother's life, but also some painful secrets of her own. All while finding love along the way. 

If you have ever wondered why you got stuck with the family you did, what you are doing with your job and your life, or had a sudden desire to run off to the mountains, sit back and join Bailey for this laugh-out-loud, yet poignant ride. It's women's fiction at it's best!

My Book Review:

If your life wasn't going exactly the way you wanted, and you just don't know what to do to change it, would you have the guts to quit your job and take off on a journey of self-discovery? Well, come along for the ride with Bailey Miller, as she travels from her home in San Antonio, Texas to Gold Creek, Colorado, in search of herself and of her great-grandmother's mysterious past. 

Bailey Miller is a 30 year old woman from San Antonio, Texas. Her life is one hot mess, she is out of sorts with everything, and yearns to find the true meaning of her life. When the company she works for reorganizes its staff and she is transferred/demoted to another position with a reduction in pay, she quits her job on the spot. She decides to get out of town for a while and go in search of her great-grandmother's past in a little mountain town in Colorado. Her journey of self-discovery is filled with mystery and intrigue, she meets some quirky people along the way, and learns invaluable life lessons that include passion, love and heartache.

Blue Straggler is a poignant story of a woman's journey of self-discovery that stays with you long after you have finished the book. The storyline is well written and intriguing, it has a mixture of humor and poignancy that resonates with the journey that Bailey undertakes in search of the meaning of her life. The many twists and turns of the subplots keeps the reader engaged and wondering what will happen next. The characters are realistic and quirky, their engaging personalities and interactions with each other provides a lot of humor throughout the book, you'll find yourself laughing at their antics. I loved Bailey's sassy humor, Rudy's quirkiness and Idamarie's classic tough Texas style. They were so much fun to get to know, you couldn't help but love their close knit relationship. The author does a wonderful job of describing the settings in the story, from historic San Antonio to the Rocky Mountains, the attention to detail easily transports the readers to those locations. 

Blue Straggler is the type of story that engages the reader to ponder about their own life. Who hasn't been dissatisfied with their life at one point or another, that it made you wish you could take off for parts unknown? Believe me I have! This novel has it all: humor, intrigue, romance and life lessons. If you are looking for a story that is women's fiction at its best, then Blue Straggler is the book for you!

RATING: 4 STARS ****