Book Review
With No Regrets by Julie N. Ford
Publisher: White Star Press
Publication Date: PB - May 26, 2015 / eBook - June 1, 2015
Format: Paperback - 340 pages
Kindle - 3329 KB
Nook - 4 MB
ISBN: 978-1939203656
ASIN: B00X0BRJM8
BNID: 2940151588713
Genre: Contemporary Romance / Women's Fiction
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Disclaimer: I received a copy of he book from the author / publisher in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by I Am A Reader Book Blasts and Blog Tours.
Book Description:
Living With No Regrets Is Harder Than It Seems
Finley isn’t exactly sure when her life began to feel unfamiliar. She suspects the transformation started long before she caught her husband and fellow garden club member doing the white-trash-two-step on her new Bernhardt sofa. Now free from the shackles of a loveless marriage, and with her children off to college, she’s finally able to go searching for the missing pieces of her heart.
Finley’s best friend, Cathyanne, is already working hard to ensure that Finley finds true love this time around. But when Finley is unwittingly tossed into the arms of two men—their sexy trainer and her neighbor, a popular country star—Cathyanne fears finding the right guy will be more complicated than she ever could have imagined.
For Finley, building a new life feels as impossible as flying a paper airplane to the moon. But maybe, just maybe, with the right help, she will find her whole heart—even if it’s in the very last place she thinks to look.
Book Excerpt:
Fastening the last few buttons on an old pair of coveralls she’d found in what had once been the bedroom, Finley tucked a couple of threadbare towels and another pair of coveralls for Josh under her arm and made her way out into the main room. As she rounded the corner, she caught sight of Josh hovering over the beginnings of a roaring fire. He’d removed his flannel shirt along with the long-sleeved T-shirt he’d been wearing underneath, and had hung them on a couple of pegs to dry. With one arm resting on the mantle, he had the thumb of the other hand hooked in the front pocket of his jeans. The waistband sat low on his hips giving her a peek at the briefs he wore underneath. Apparently Jockey was his underclothing of choice. Something in her chest stuttered, pinged, stuttered, and then turned over again, this time settling into a metrical purring. Her eyes traveled from his jeans up, and on to the hills and valleys of his abs and chest. Baked to a perfect honey brown, his moist skin gleamed in the firelight, his perfectly toned muscles dancing with the flame.
Tearing her eyes from his chest, she took in the strong angles of his face, his serious gaze watching the fire as if anticipating an answer he’d been waiting a lifetime to hear.
“What are you thinking about?” she asked.
Josh’s head whipped up like he’d forgotten she was there. A slow smile dragged up one side of his mouth. “You, and how . . .”—he surveyed her baggy coveralls, his eyes lighting on the name-patch that read, Finnie—“and how sexy you look in even the most unflattering outfit I’m pretty sure I’ve ever seen on a woman before.”
Finley crossed over to him, a swarm of bees, butterflies, and pretty much anything else with tiny, fluttering wings, filling her chest. “You’re an impossible flirt, but thank you,” she said with a touch of false modesty. “I’ve got a pair for you too.” She held out the coveralls and towels.
Josh kept his crooked grin aimed at her while he eased the towels and dry clothes from her hands. She tried not to drool as the muscles of his arms and shoulders tightened and rolled under his skin. “Thanks,” he said, his gaze taking a quick side-trip from hers to look over her offering. Breezing over the patch, his eyes then made a quick U-turn to fixate momentarily on the name. He looked back to her under a questioning brow. “Roy?”
Finley’s focus drifted off-center from his. “They’ll likely be too long and a mite tight in the shoulders, but at least they’re dry, and you won’t freeze.” She offered him a sheepish smile. “I think the temperature has dropped about ten degrees since the storm hit. At this rate, we could have snow again by morning.”
Tossing the coveralls to the hearth, Josh then shook open one of the towels. “I bet I can come up with a way of keeping warm that doesn’t include me wearing your ex-husband’s hand-me-downs,” he said as he wiped the towel over his chest and shoulders.
Finley shifted her gaze from the heady look he was giving her. All of a sudden, instead of gently beating, those tiny wings in her chest felt as if they were desperate to escape a cage that had grown much too small. “I’m sure you can, but . . .”
Taking an end of the towel in each hand, Josh horseshoed it around his neck. “But?” he repeated.
Tearing her eyes from his chest, she took in the strong angles of his face, his serious gaze watching the fire as if anticipating an answer he’d been waiting a lifetime to hear.
“What are you thinking about?” she asked.
Josh’s head whipped up like he’d forgotten she was there. A slow smile dragged up one side of his mouth. “You, and how . . .”—he surveyed her baggy coveralls, his eyes lighting on the name-patch that read, Finnie—“and how sexy you look in even the most unflattering outfit I’m pretty sure I’ve ever seen on a woman before.”
Finley crossed over to him, a swarm of bees, butterflies, and pretty much anything else with tiny, fluttering wings, filling her chest. “You’re an impossible flirt, but thank you,” she said with a touch of false modesty. “I’ve got a pair for you too.” She held out the coveralls and towels.
Josh kept his crooked grin aimed at her while he eased the towels and dry clothes from her hands. She tried not to drool as the muscles of his arms and shoulders tightened and rolled under his skin. “Thanks,” he said, his gaze taking a quick side-trip from hers to look over her offering. Breezing over the patch, his eyes then made a quick U-turn to fixate momentarily on the name. He looked back to her under a questioning brow. “Roy?”
Finley’s focus drifted off-center from his. “They’ll likely be too long and a mite tight in the shoulders, but at least they’re dry, and you won’t freeze.” She offered him a sheepish smile. “I think the temperature has dropped about ten degrees since the storm hit. At this rate, we could have snow again by morning.”
Tossing the coveralls to the hearth, Josh then shook open one of the towels. “I bet I can come up with a way of keeping warm that doesn’t include me wearing your ex-husband’s hand-me-downs,” he said as he wiped the towel over his chest and shoulders.
Finley shifted her gaze from the heady look he was giving her. All of a sudden, instead of gently beating, those tiny wings in her chest felt as if they were desperate to escape a cage that had grown much too small. “I’m sure you can, but . . .”
Taking an end of the towel in each hand, Josh horseshoed it around his neck. “But?” he repeated.
Praise for With No Regrets:
“The imagery is beautiful, the romance very well done and realistic.” Rachel Ann Nunes.
Finley is a spunky and snarky Southern woman with a lot of sass! The romance is swoon-worthy and satisfying. And underneath it all, it's got a great message. Definitely worth a read!
My Book Review:
With No Regrets is a wonderful Southern romance / women's fiction story that will tug at the heartstrings and leave you with a smile!
Author Julie N. Ford weaves a delightful tale set in Nashville that follows forty year old new divorcee Finley (aka Finnie) Harrison's journey of self discovery.
After dropping her daughter Royanne off at Vanderbilt University for the summer session, Finley comes home and catches her husband Roy on the couch with fellow garden club member Macy Wallace. After twenty-one years of marriage, and a loveless marriage at that, Finley files for divorce and has to figure out how to restart her life.
When Finley commits a Southern faux pas at the monthly garden club luncheon, think of the Julia Roberts movie, Something To Talk About, Finley's mama thinks she should join a divorce therapy / support group because she's not handling the divorce very well. After attending her first meeting, Finley's not taken with the whole "Divorce Is Not An End But A New Beginning" philosophy, and is reluctant to return to the group. But best friend Cathyanne Morrow has other plans to help jump start Finley's life ... that is her love life to be exact! Cathyanne's plans are to get Finley hooked up with her reclusive country star and friendly neighbor Quinton Townes, but a monkey wrench is thrown into the plans when Finley has her eyes on the hunky gym trainer Josh, who is ten years younger than her, and oh lord add in ex-husband Roy to the list because of Finley's unresolved feelings for him ... and what you get is a middle aged Southern lady trying to figure out how to find her true self, find love and happiness, and to live life with no regrets!
With No Regrets is such a fun story to read! The author weaves a poignant story that mixes humor, drama, friendship, and Southern charm that easily draws the reader into Finley's story. I love to read Southern romantic / women's fiction stories, and this story thoroughly captivated me from the beginning. OMG, I snorted when I read about Finley's garden club incident, a la the Julia Robert's movie, Something To Talk About, which is one of my favorite movies, so this scene in the book got two thumbs up!
There is something special about a story that is able to captivate a reader and take them along the character's journey from beginning to end. With No Regrets does a wonderful job of engaging the reader while getting them to laugh, smile, have their heart strings pulled, and embark on a thrilling roller coaster ride where they will feel like they have experienced the full gamut of emotions. From the sassy sisterly friendship between Finley and Cathyanne; to Finley's romance dilemmas with Quinton, Josh, and Roy; to the crazy antics from the divorce group members; to the ups and downs of Finley's journey towards self-discovery; the reader is in for a special treat when they read this Southern charmer of a story!
RATING: 5 STARS
Book Trailer
About The Author
A graduate from San Diego State University with a BA in Political Science, Julie N. Ford also earned a Masters in Social Work from the University of Alabama, which has only made her better able to recognize the unhealthy, codependent relationship she has with writing. Professionally, she has worked in teaching and as a marriage and family counselor.
She is the author of six women’s fiction novels, including Count Down to Love, a 2011 Whitney Award finalist. When she’s not writing, she entertains delusions of being a master gardener, that is, when she’s not killing the unsuspecting plants in her yard with her good intentions. She lives outside of Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband, two daughters, and the cutest Scottish fold cat you’ve ever seen. She loves to chat with readers.
Blog Tour Giveaway:
$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 6/28/15
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
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I just wanted to say thanks for taking the time to read and then review my novel. I can imagine you get a ton of requests for reviews and I am grateful that you chose mine. Thank you SO much!!! Julie N. Ford
ReplyDeleteHi Julie! Thank you for the opportunity to host your virtual book tour event. I loved reading With No Regrets, what a wonderful story. :)
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