Author Guest Post
But lately I feel like I'm on a ride all of the time. I made myself get on this big coaster called life. I'm sure it will turn me upside down and inside out but I also have a feeling I'll have a smile after the first drop.
My new book, The New Ever After, is here. It's here for you to read and love. It's a book about life and some of the struggles that face moms...all moms. We all feel pressures from different things. Some of us work, some stay at home. Some have one child others have five. Some of us count every calorie and others eat every last bite of the chocolate cake. But we all have love and sometimes love makes us crazy and makes us do crazy things.
My editor and I have worked harder than I could have ever imagined to bring you this book. I've written. She's dissected. We've spent countless summer hours working toward this day and it's scary to hand something over to the world. Something that you've worked so hard on. But that's the ride I've chosen to get on.
My new book is about life. It's about friends. It's about being a mom and not always being perfect. It's about love. And it's about living life to the fullest because you never know when it's going to disappear....
About The Author
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Book Review
The New Ever After by Julie Farley
Book 2: The New Ever After Series
Publisher: Perfect Mamas Press
Publication Date: August 11, 2013
Format: Paperback - 242 pages / Kindle - 1624 KB
ISBN: 0989222721
ASIN: B00EHJM4ZO
Genre: Chick Lit / Contemporary Romance / Women's Fiction
BUY THE BOOK: The New Ever After
BUY THE SERIES: The New Ever After
Book 0.5: Tripped Up Christmas
Book 1: Tripped Up Love
Book 2: The New Ever After
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours.
Book Description:
Book Excerpt:
Hank and I are at Pony Pasture for the afternoon. I’m sitting on the rocks watching him swim in the rapids of the James River. The sun is bright and the fish are splashing about in the water. I see his hands reach up in the air once. I think nothing of it. I think he’s trying to propel himself up. It’s not until I see his head bob up with his mouth open gasping for air that I start to worry. His mouth’s open, and he’s going to swallow water if he doesn’t shut it. And then I don’t see him. I don’t see his arms or the strawberry blond hair on the top of his head. So I stand up. I hop across the rocks to try to get as close as I can to where he was. I start yelling his name, “Hank!” I start waving my hands. But I don’t get into the water. I search the surface to see if I can see him. I can’t see anything beyond the geese that are standing two feet in front of me looking for food. I reach for my phone, and it falls out of my sweaty palms and into the river. I start screaming again, “HANK!” No one answers. I can only hear the water running over the rocks and the paddling of the geese. I bend down and kneel on the rocks and reach my hands into the water and grab for anything I can find. I only grab the river plants, and I can’t find anything that isn’t slimy. I’m looking for his hands and the tears are falling faster and harder and I’m frantically yelling his name, “HANK! HANK! HANK!” But he won’t be able to understand it any more because my tears and the snot that is streaming down my face are muffling my screams. “HANK! HANK! HANK!”
And then I feel his arms wrap around me, and all I can say is, “Thank God! You’re alive.” And the arms grip me tighter and wake me from my sleep. I open my eyes to see the tattoos, and I remember that he’s still dead and it’s not his arms that are wrapped around me.
Heather could hear George crying through the intercom. The birds were chirping right outside her window, so sunrise was imminent. With George and the birds, who needed an alarm clock? But today, she couldn't get up. She had pretended not to hear Emily when she had cried in the middle of the night, so Peter had gotten up and given her a binkie. He had gotten back into bed and kissed Heather on the forehead. A kiss while she was feigning sleep.
And then she remembered the nightmare she’d had. Peter had comforted her and loved her while she screamed out for her dead husband. Peter made no secret that he loved her and he had every intention of always taking care of her. He had while she had her broken ankle and while she was hugely pregnant with the twins. And now he loved her and cradled her when she yelled Hank’s name in her sleep.
And then I feel his arms wrap around me, and all I can say is, “Thank God! You’re alive.” And the arms grip me tighter and wake me from my sleep. I open my eyes to see the tattoos, and I remember that he’s still dead and it’s not his arms that are wrapped around me.
Heather could hear George crying through the intercom. The birds were chirping right outside her window, so sunrise was imminent. With George and the birds, who needed an alarm clock? But today, she couldn't get up. She had pretended not to hear Emily when she had cried in the middle of the night, so Peter had gotten up and given her a binkie. He had gotten back into bed and kissed Heather on the forehead. A kiss while she was feigning sleep.
And then she remembered the nightmare she’d had. Peter had comforted her and loved her while she screamed out for her dead husband. Peter made no secret that he loved her and he had every intention of always taking care of her. He had while she had her broken ankle and while she was hugely pregnant with the twins. And now he loved her and cradled her when she yelled Hank’s name in her sleep.
My Book Review:
In The New Ever After, the sequel to Tripped Up Love, the story continues with widow Heather Meadows marrying famous author Peter Adamson, and their family grows from three to five children with the birth of twins. The reader follows along as Heather and Peter adjust to married life with kids while trying to balance their writing careers with the daily family struggles that life brings. As Heather works through the challenges, she encounters dramatic events that will test her closest relationships that will make her realize that she has to learn to enjoy every moment and live life to the fullest.
The New Ever After is a wonderful sequel that easily draws the reader back into Heather and Peter's life as their second chance at love takes on a new meaning when their whirlwind romance turns into a marriage with an instant family and daily responsibilities.
Author Julie Farley infuses humor, drama, and romance into a delightful story that depicts the realities of the day-to-day struggle to balance marriage, family and career. The continuation of their story flowed seamlessly, it was easy to follow and relate to what goes on daily in a marriage/family. There are unexpected twists and turns that keeps the reader in suspense and turning the pages. I enjoyed the depth of emotion, love, and devotion that Heather and Peter have for each other, it's the kind of love that not a lot of people get to experience in their lives. I loved the thoughtful message that the story provides to the readers: life is too short to sweat the small stuff, so go with the flow and enjoy every moment to the fullest. I look forward to reading the next installment in The New Ever After series.
The New Ever After is a heartwarming love story about real life with all its trials and tribulations, and how the happily ever after is so worth having in one's life.
RATING: 4 STARS ****
Virtual Book Tour Schedule
Tour Schedule:
April 8 – Samantha March – Q&A & Excerpt
April 9 – The One With the Fairytales – Novel Spotlight & Excerpt
April 11 – The East Village – Review
April 11- Jersey Girl Book Reviews – Review, Guest Post & Excerpt
April 14 – Reviews by Molly – Review & Excerpt
April 14 – Keep Calm and Blog On – Review
Thank you for such a thoughtful review!
ReplyDeleteHi Julie! I love this series, can't wait to read the next book. Thank you for the opportunity to host your virtual book tour event. :)
DeleteThanks for being in the tour!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the opportunity to host the virtual book tour event. This is a great series, love following Heather and Peter. :)
ReplyDelete