Lies A River Deep by Vera Jane Cook (Book Review / Contest Giveaway)

In association with Reading Addiction Virtual Book Tours, Jersey Girl Book Reviews is pleased to host the virtual book tour event for Lies A River Deep by Author Vera Jane Cook!

Book Review

Lies A River Deep by Vera Jane Cook

Publisher: Musa Publishing

Publication Date: March 1, 2012

Format: eBook - 277 pages

             Kindle - 1375 KB

             Nook - 837 KB

ISBN: 978-1619371262

ASIN: B007G4KHT2

BNID: 2940149245758

Genre: Women's Fiction 

BUY THE BOOK: Lies A River Deep

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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 hosted by Reading Addiction Virtual Book Tours.

Book Description:

In the summer of 1962, at a high school graduation party, Bessie Day Hardy is brutally raped. Fifty years later, the consequences of that horrific night will transition into unforeseen events that will shatter her serene and uncomplicated life.


Book Excerpt:

It was a day like any other. Days have a sameness, even new, they offer little beyond weather changes and sudden deaths.

“And how are you today?” Bessie asked, showing a smile that age had not yet dulled. She’d always been cute because of it. Sixty years ago, or more, she was the little girl whose cheeks you pinched, and though she was old now, she still wore her hair in curls; silver grey undulations that framed her face and brought out a blithe desire in others to pinch where her dimples dipped, even to kiss her there unabashedly.

Grey looked up and nodded. “Same,” he said.

The air was damp with April moisture as Bessie Day Hardy wrapped her scarf closer to her neck and shivered. Air that hung heavy like wet clothes caught flapping in the rain made it hard to breathe. The scarf had been a gift in a white torn box, under red Santa Claus wrapping, from the Episcopal Church of Saint John the Apostle Christmas party, just last year. The lime green and caramel colored wool that she loved to feel against her lips, an anonymous kindness from someone who had written: Bless you and have a very Merry Christmas. Someone, she imagined with fresh white skin, pearl teeth and eyes that sparkled blue in daylight, light as the sea, but darkened with the night, turning cenereal behind the shadows of dusk.

“We ever going to see the sun again?” She sighed. A wind kicked around the corner and her body felt the chill, enemy winds that carried the threat of sodden attacks to bones too brittle to fight. Later, she would feel the ache and she would rub her muscles more for the distraction than the release of pain.

“If we live long enough,” Grey said.

Bessie chuckled. Living long wasn’t the blessing it used to be. Aging was in the way. Couldn’t leave a person alone, had to show up and make her breath short, expose every damn vein in her body and give her the unsightly imprint of impending death. Nobody wants to look at mortality too closely and aging people carry its threat, vulnerably apparent; the weight of its nearness is a monster in the wings where heaven is a nebulous and cracked mirror; don’t look into it, the young whisper: don’t look yet.

But the old were once young. Bessie Day Hardy still carried the traces of adolescent giddiness in the creases of her lips and her middle-aged ardor for Chauncey Hardy still glinted in her eyes at the memory of his smooth hands in hers, and his fine soft hair against her breast. His step was lively. She could hear it, sometimes, when the house was quiet. Chauncey’s step on the stairs, in the kitchen, on the bedroom floor.

Damn house was quiet now, even her cat walked too softly to hear.

My Book Review:

Lies A River Deep is an intriguing story about how an older woman deals with the lasting effects from an emotional trauma in her past that has suddenly resurfaced fifty years later.

In the summer of 1962, at a high school graduation party, Bessie Day Hardy is brutally raped. Fifty years later, Bessie is a widow in her late sixties living peacefully in Chanakya, New York, a picturesque small town in central New York along the Seneca river. Bessie's world is turned upside down when the emotional trauma from her past resurfaces and comes back to haunt her ... and like the flow of the river, it runs deep with many secrets, lies, betrayals, and consequences.

Author Vera Jane Cooks weaves a riveting and slow building emotional tale mixed with mystery and suspense that alternates between the past (1960s) and the present. The complexity of this multi-layered story of deep family secrets, lies, and betrayals, easily draws the reader into Bessie's story as her tragic past resurfaces and unravels the inevitable emotional and traumatic revelation of the truth and its consequences. The mystery and suspense of Bessie's tragic past keeps the reader engaged and guessing about what really happened on that horrible night, while taking them along Bessie's fifty year journey as she learns to come to terms with the past.

With a strong realistic cast of characters; powerful dialogue and dramatic interactions; and a rich description of the setting, alternating time periods, and suspenseful storyline; Lies A River Deep is a compelling and emotional women's fiction story with a satisfying touch of drama and suspense.


RATING: 4 STARS 

                                   

About The Author

Pharaoh's Star is Vera Jane Cook's most recent release. The Story of Sassy Sweetwater was Vera Jane’s second southern fiction novel and was a finalist in the ForeWord book of the Year Awards for 2012 and received a five star ForeWord Clarion review, as well as an Eric Hoffer honorable mention award for ebook fiction in 2013. Dancing Backward in Paradise also received a 5 Star Clarion ForeWord review and an Eric Hoffer notable new fiction award in 2006, as well as the Indie Excellence Award in 2006. Also by Vera Jane Cook: Lies a River Deep, Where the Wildflowers Grow, Marybeth, Hollister & Jane and Annabel Horton, Lost Witch of Salem. Her next novel, Pleasant Day will be published in 2015 by Moonshine Cove Press.

Jane is married and lives on the Upper West side of Manhattan with her spouse, her Basenji/Chihuahua mix, Roxie, her chihuahua puppy, Peanut, and her two pussy cats, Sassy and Sweetie Pie. Added to the mix is Carly, an adopted five year old chocolate brown Dachshund.


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Gooseberry Island by Steven Manchester (Book Release Day Event / Book Excerpt / Book Review)

In association with The Story Plant and Author Steven Manchester, Jersey Girl Book Reviews is pleased to host the book release day event for Gooseberry Island!

Gooseberry Island by Steven Manchester

Publisher: The Story Plant

Publication Date: January 6, 2015

Format: Paperback - 300 pages

             Kindle - 1022 KB

             Nook - 2 MB

ISBN: 978-1611881813

ASIN: B00OPAFIDK

Genre: Contemporary Romance / Literary Fiction 

BUY THE BOOK: Gooseberry Island

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Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Book Description:

They met at the worst possible moment...or maybe it was just in time. David McClain was about to go to war and Lindsey Wood was there at his going-away party, capturing his heart when falling for a woman was the last thing on his mind. While David was serving his country, he stayed in close contact with Lindsey. But war changes a person, and when he came home very little had the same meaning that it had before – including the romance that had sustained him. Was love truly unconquerable, or would it prove to be just another battlefield casualty?

Gooseberry Island is the most nuanced, dramatic, and romantic novel yet from a writer whose ability to plumb the depths of human emotion knows few peers.


Book Excerpt:

Gooseberry Island excerpt

David had been home for six weeks when he pulled into the market, preparing to locate everything on his mother’s grocery list. As he approached the store, he spotted a young teenage boy walking out; he was holding a brown bag. An older man approached the boy and reached out his hand. David gasped and his dizzy mind immediately raced back to Afghanistan and the horrific beating of the young Afghani boy:

There was movement three hundred yards out on the street below. Unusual, David thought. It was a teenage boy, maybe fourteen, carrying a burlap bag and hurrying home before dark. Never seen him before, David thought.

In a flash, a man—a Taliban fighter—jumped out of the shadows and grabbed the boy’s arm, pulling him to the street and spilling the contents of his sack. As the teenager yelled for help, another Taliban soldier emerged from the darkness. The boy screamed louder, but not a single soul came to his aid…


It only took a few seconds, but the whole scene played out in sequence in his mind—both men yelling and slapping the boy as he screamed for help; the slaps turning to a vicious beating until finally the boy was dead. He could almost hear Command say “Negative” again after he asked if he could intervene. He felt the anguish in his soul threatening to overwhelm him, but it was quickly replaced by a burning rage.

His eyes filled with tears, David returned to the present and started for the man in a mad rush. He was three steps from the shocked stranger when reality clicked in. It’s the boy’s father, he realized. He’s…he’s okay.

David’s body convulsed. He’d forgotten he was home, and the reality of it slapped him hard in the face.

The man pulled the teenage boy close to him; both of them were frightened by David’s sudden charge toward them.

“Sorry,” David said, though it sounded more like “Sigh.” Trying unsuccessfully to smile at them, he turned on his heels and hurried back to the Mustang.

For the next hour, David sat alone in his car, trying to calm the physical effects of his anxiety. Once he’d reined that in, he spent another two hours beating back the depression that always followed in anxiety’s wake.

His wasn’t sure whether the abyss existed within his heart or mind, but he knew that he was now filled with a great void—nothingness. There was no light there, only darkness. There was no hope, only despair. In time, he’d learned to embrace the silence, as the screams and whimpers of faceless victims became echoes that returned again and again, pushing the line of madness. Yet, the solitude was relentless, enveloping, merciless. It would have been better had I never existed, he thought, fearing another moment more than cashing in and leaving it all behind. No love, he thought, no peace. His memories were slanted in such thick negativity that his entire past would have been better off erased. And no one knows I’m dying inside, he thought, inviting another wave of panic attacks to crash onto the shore of his weary mind.

He closed his eyes tightly and tried to calm the short labored gasps. Just ride the wave, he told himself. Just ride the wave.

But in another room in his mind, he knew that even if he rode that wave—and didn’t crack his skull on all the rocks beneath him—he’d have to take the ride again and again. It didn’t take long before the jagged rocks seemed like the more merciful option.

~~~

Enough time had passed for Lindsey to realize David was not coming after her. He’s obviously in a lot of pain, she thought, and doesn’t want to burden anyone with it. She shook her head. But I care way too much about him to let him go through this alone.

With Craig’s permission, she slammed David’s front door behind her and marched through the living room into the kitchen. “Don’t you dare play the coward with me, David McClain,” she shouted before even reaching the room.

As she expected, David had been staring out the kitchen window into nothingness. With tear-filled eyes, his head snapped up. “Don’t you ever call me that word…ever!”

She stared at him for a few long moments before her heart softened. “Then go ahead, tell me that you don’t want to see me anymore and I’ll leave you alone forever.”

He looked at her with tormented eyes but didn’t say a word.

“But you can’t, can you?” she said, her entire insides starting to tremble.

“It’s not you,” he vowed. “It’s me. I’m just not…”

“Don’t you dare feed me that tired line! I spent a year praying for you…writing letters and wishing for us to…” She stopped, trying in vain to contain her emotions.

His face looked panicked, as his mind obviously spiraled out of control to gather the right words. “I don’t have the words,” he said in less than a whisper.

“After the first time I came here, I thought for sure you’d chase after me,” she said. “I’m not stupid, David. I realize something happened over there that has you all twisted up. But I also thought that once you saw my face, you’d…” She stopped again and began to cry.

David placed his hand on hers. She started to pull away, but he stopped her, intertwining their fingers. “Lindsey, please…please don’t say anything until I finish. Just hear me out. Okay?”

“Okay,” she said, her tears threatening to flood her face.

He took a few deep breaths. “I've given this a lot of thought, and I want you to know that I've never lied to you…and I don't plan to now.” He shook his head. “I’m so messed up right now, Lindsey, I can’t even explain it.” He could barely hold eye contact with her. “I really hope we can be together someday…more than you can ever imagine. But I’m just not ready yet. I…I need to heal,” he stuttered.

She took a deep breath and held it.

“Torn isn't even the word for what I’m feeling over this,” he babbled on. “The last thing I want to do is hurt either of us.”

“I don’t think we have to say goodbye, though,” she said, feeling the panic of desperation creep into her soul. “Don’t you remember the night we shared on that bench?”

His eyes grew even more distant. “I really wish things were different,” he said, “that life didn’t have to be so difficult.” He shrugged. “Time will tell, I guess.”

“You guess?” She returned his shrug to him, perturbed.

“Lindsey, I don't know what the future holds, but I do know that I don't want to destroy any chance we might have at it …just because I might not be ready for it yet.” He grimaced. “I need time to find myself, okay?”

Lindsey, the child of a PTSD victim, shook her head. “You don’t have to find yourself, David. You just have to remember who you are…who you’ve always been.”

He nodded, tears streaming down his face.

Lindsey took a deep breath and surrendered. “David, I’ve told you the way that I feel for you and what I want for us. That’s all I can do. The rest is in your hands.” She peered into his dull eyes. “I can only hope that you’ll think of me every day, as I will you. I hope a lot of things, David.” She paused to collect herself. “Most of all, I hope the day will come when Afghanistan is behind you and we can fall in love all over again and catch up on all the things we’ve missed.” Mimicking him, she shrugged. “Maybe you’re right. I guess time will tell.” She pulled her hand away from his and felt her heart rip clean out of her chest. “Until then, you’ll be in my thoughts,” she whispered.

“I’m so sorry, Lindsey,” he sobbed, his shoulders rocking.

“I love you, David,” she said and, with one final attempt, grabbed his chin and forced eye contact between them. “Now tell me you don’t want to see me and I’ll leave you alone,” she whispered.

As he looked at her, Lindsey could clearly see the anguish in his eyes.

“You can’t, can you?” she said, hopefully.

His tears continued to leak down his cheeks. “I don’t want to see you…for now,” he said, and turned his eyes away from hers.

It felt as though someone had just slugged her in the gut. “Okay,” she gasped and ran out of the house crying harder than she’d ever cried before.

Long after Lindsey had run out of the kitchen, David remained catatonic—until he grabbed a drinking glass off the counter and threw it onto the floor where it broke into a hundred pieces. Enraged, he began smashing everything he could get his hands on in the kitchen. At the end of the violent outburst, he collapsed to the floor and began to weep. With his head in both hands, he screamed, “I love you, too, Lindsey.” Day turned into dusk and, like most nights, just beyond the sobs and sniffles the world turned quiet and black.

~~~

After four or five weeks of self-imposed solitary confinement—a punishment filled with death-defying panic attacks and long, treacherous tunnels of depression—David decided to reach out to the men he had served with. They’re the only ones who can relate, he thought. And I wonder how they’re doing…really doing?

My Book Review:

Every once in a while a novel comes along that is so powerfully compelling and thought provoking that it will pull at the heartstrings and stir the soul, for me, that novel is author Steven Manchester's Gooseberry Island.

David McClain is an Army Ranger, who is deploying for his first twelve month combat tour of duty in Afghanistan. Before he leaves his home on Gooseberry Island, he hoped that he might meet a special someone who he could write to and look forward to coming home to while on tour. All he wants is to find the right woman, the girl of his dreams, his soul mate.

Lindsey Wood knows first hand the horrors of PTSD. Her father Denis is a decorated Operation Desert Storm veteran, who is struggling with nightmares from his tour in Iraq. Lindsey is his caretaker, but his bouts with his inner demons and alcohol abuse often leads to Lindsey being on the receiving end of her father's violent fits. He has struggled so much that he lives in a constant state of emotional catastrophe, and has even committed himself to the local VA Hospital for treatment on numerous occasions, but nothing seems to help him and he doesn't know how much more he can take.

Lindsey and David meet on the beach the afternoon before he ships out, when Lindsey's dog trips David while running. There is an instant connection between Lindsey and David, and he asks her to go with him to his going away party. They spend the whole night on the beach sitting on a park bench talking until the sunrise. They vow to stay in touch with each other while David is away for the next year, and meet up at the same park bench on the beach when he comes home. But no one can imagine the changes that would occur in their lives, and the traumatic toll it would take from being away from each other for a year.

Author Steven Manchester weaves a powerful, compelling, and emotional tale that easily draws the reader into Lindsey and David's story. Told in an alternating third person narrative, the reader follows Lindsey and David as they try to maintain a long-distance relationship while he serves a twelve month tour in Afghanistan. The reader follows Lindsey as she goes about her life at home, as she tries to help her father cope as he struggles with PTSD, while dreaming of a future with David when he comes home from his tour of duty. The reader also follows David as his tour in the Kabul Province of Afghanistan with the Fourth Ranger Battalion will change his life forever, as he too struggles internally with the traumatic combat experiences that he endured. David's internal struggles follow him home from his tour, and it will take a powerful beacon of light to guide him back home.

Gooseberry Island is a heart wrenching but inspirational story that will pull at your emotional heartstrings. Author Steven Manchester weaves a richly vivid and chilling description of David's tour of duty in Afghanistan, and brings to light the invisible scars that many of our returning service men and women bring with them when they return home. The author provides the reader with a thought provoking tale that raises the awareness of the effects that PTSD can have upon our military. Just because our service men and women come home in one piece, doesn't always mean that the war is over, for many the internal struggles have only just begun, and for some the struggle is too much get past. According to the author's letter to the reader, he calls upon his own personal experience of serving in Operation Desert Storm to weave a story that details the brutal experience of combat service, and the struggle our military veterans encounter when they return home, and the emotional helplessness it causes their loved ones. This is a story that was twenty years in making, one that was written as a wonderful tribute to our nation's military service people and their loved ones. This is a story that will resonate with you for a very long time.


RATING: 5 STARS 

                                      

About The Author

Steven Manchester is the author of the #1 bestsellers, Twelve Months and The Rockin' Chair. He is also the author of the award-winning novel, Goodnight, Brian, as well as the critically-acclaimed novel, Pressed Pennies, A Christmas Wish (Kindle Exclusive), Wilbur Avenue (novelette), Just in Time (novelette), The Thursday Night Club (novella), and Gooseberry Island. His work has appeared on NBC's Today Show, CBS's The Early Show, CNN's American Morning and BET's Nightly News. Three of Steven's short stories were selected "101 Best" for Chicken Soup for the Soul series. When not spending time with his beautiful wife, Paula, or their four children, this Massachusetts author is promoting his works or writing.


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And Then There Was You by Suzy Turner (Author Interview / Book Review)

In association with Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours, Jersey Girl Book Reviews is pleased to host the virtual book tour event for And Then There Was You by Author Suzy Turner!

Author Interview

Welcome, Suzy! Before we get to the interview, can you tell our readers a little bit about yourself. 

I'd love to! My name is Suzy Turner and I've been writing YA urban fantasy and contemporary romance books for the past five years from Portugal where I've lived since I was ten years old. I live with my gorgeous hubby who I started dating when I was just sixteen years old! We live in a lovely house at the foot of the Monchique mountains with our two dogs and numerous cats. 

How long have you been a writer? 

I actually wrote my very first book about 15 years ago but I never published it. I might, one day! It needs a LOT of work though, lol. I've been writing full time since 2009. 

Do you have a day job, or is being an author your career? 

I used to work as an editor for a magazine but when I was made redundant, I decided to go ahead with my dream job and I've been writing ever since. I'm very lucky. 

What inspired you to become a writer? Describe your journey as a writer. 

Initially, it was an interview in a magazine with one of my favourite authors at the time (Jenny Colgan). She was talking about how she'd got a publishing contract and I was so intrigued that it got me thinking about whether I could try it. Then life got in the way and it wasn't until my redundancy that I really became serious about it. I'd half written my first YA book, Raven, and so I finished it and then set about finding an agent. That proved insanely difficult so I started looking at indie publishing instead. The rest, as they say, is history! I've since published nine books :) 

Please give a brief description/storyline about And Then There Was You. 

Three years ago, Eve Brooke had the most passionate, memorable night of her life. Unfortunately, it was with a man who wasn't her husband. Can infidelity be forgotten? Not when her one night stand moves in next door, it can’t. 

Eve has a pretty good life. She’s married to Matt, her childhood sweetheart, has an interesting career and lives in a nice house in the suburbs. If life is so perfect why did Eve sleep with a complete stranger during a trip to London? And why, three years later did he have to move in next door with his beautiful wife? As the attraction between them flares up again, Eve begins to question her marriage and wonders if it is fate or coincidence that has brought them back together… 

What was the inspiration for this story? 

It started off with a conversation with friends about relationships, then I was listening to that awesome song, All I Wanna Do is Make Love to You about a one night stand and I just started writing. I actually wrote the first draft in less than a week. It completely took me by storm! 

How did it feel to have your first book published? 

Amazing, incredible – like a dream come true. Terrifying as well though. I was so scared that people would hate it. Fortunately those that love it far outweigh those that don't! 

Do you write books for a specific genre? 

I write both YA urban fantasy (The Raven Saga and The Morgan Sisters) chick lit (Forever Fredless) and now contemporary romance (And Then There Was You). 

What genres are your favorite(s)? What are some of your favorite books that you have read and why? 

I love to read all sorts but I do enjoy the genres that I write. I'm a huge Harry Potter and Twilight fan lol. But as for chick lit, there are so many amazing authors out there too – Sophie Kinsella, Jenny Colgan, Wendy Holden, for example. I have tonnes of author pals who all write the most incredible books – Shalini Boland, Patti Roberts, Melissa Pearl (YA) and Poppet are just a few. But my all time favourite books include Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden, The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M Auel and The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. As you can see, I have eclectic tastes! 

Do you have a special spot/area where you like to do your writing? 

Yes! My husband built the most beautiful little summer house in our garden this year and it's where I wrote And Then There Was You. He made me the most beautiful desk – I cried when I saw it. It's such a wonderful place to be. It's very relaxing and chilled. 

How do you come up with the ideas that become the storyline for your books? 

Sometimes I have dreams that inspire me, other times I use some of my own life experiences (the idea for Forever Fredless was based on something that happened to me as a child), but most of the time I just create way out ideas. I do have an insane imagination! 

When you write, do you adhere to a strict work schedule, or do you work whenever the inspiration strikes? 

I stick to deadlines otherwise I'd never getting anything done! And I always announce when my next book is coming out in advance so I have no choice but to write it within a specific time frame. I usually aim for around 5,000 words per day, five days per week. Although I was writing 10,000 words a day for And Then There Was You! 

What aspects of storytelling do you like the best, and what aspects do you struggle with the most? 

I love creating new worlds, especially supernatural beings – that's the most fun, for sure! And names, coming up with unusual names is awesome (I have two faeries in The Raven Saga called Sheharazalea and Tiffanimelocomelea – but don't worry, they're shortened to Zalea and Tiffani!). As for the struggles of being a writer, I'd have to say editing isn't much fun for me, but a necessary evil. That and marketing / promoting myself. It's not easy! 

What are your favorite things to do when you are not writing? 

I'm a huge TV and movie addict on a Saturday and Sunday afternoon but during the week, I love to do yoga, meet friends for coffee and shopping. I'm very much a girlie girl! And I love to travel, of course. Hubby and I are about to embark on our next trip (to the States!) and we're very excited :D 

What is/was the best piece of writing advice that you have received? 

Probably that reading other people's books is a really important tool for writers. It's a great way to improve your own skills. That and the importance of developing a thick skin. There are always going to be people who will trash your work in a bad review and you have to learn not to take it personally. It's hard but crucial. 

What is the most gratifying thing you feel or get as a writer? 

Knowing that I'm making people happy. It's the best feeling in the world! My books tend to have happy endings for that reason alone :) 

How do you usually communicate with your readers/fans? 

Via Facebook, twitter and email. I do get the occasional fan email which is amazing! 

Is there anything in your book based on real life experiences or are they purely all from your imagination? 

I mix both personal experiences with make-believe! That's part of the fun, right? 

What authors have been your inspiration or influenced you to become a writer? 

JK Rowling and Stephenie Meyer for sure. They made me believe that anything is possible and look at me now. My first book, Raven (which is free) has probably been downloaded well over 200,000 times! 

What is your definition of success as a writer? 

Publishing just one book is a success in my eyes, but if I'm honest I do want it all. I'd like to sell thousands of copies every month and be approached by a producer to make my books into movies ;) 

Are you currently writing a new book? If yes, would you care to share a bit of it with us? 

I'm taking a break at the moment, preparing for my holiday, but I am planning to write another instalment in The Raven Saga when I return. I started another chick lit novel a few months ago but I put it on hold until next summer. It's called Aphrodite's Closet. Here's an excerpt (bear in mind that it is UNEDITED lol!)

Aphrodite's Closet – Excerpt:

'Don't be such a prude, Aggie.'

'I...I'm not a prude,' Aggie stuttered, nervously pushing her mousy brown hair behind her ear and glancing around at the shoppers walking around them along the high street.

'Come on,' Coco laughed, pulling her best friend by the arm, giving her little choice but to enter the popular sex shop.

Feeling her face flush a deep shade of aubergine, Aggie stumbled behind her, hiding as best as she possibly could.

Coco, on the other hand, was in her element, grabbing bras, panties, feather boas, sequinned bodies and... was that an erm, vibrator? gulped Aggie who gasped aloud, before realising Coco was actually just teasing her.

'Can we go now?' she whispered as her crazy-haired, coffee-coloured best pal snorted in front of her.

'Go? But we only just came in.'

'I'm just not... not... comfortable.'

'Jeeze Aggie, it's about time you got over your nerves in places like this. It's just a sex shop, they sell lingerie and fun stuff for the bedroom. You're not an eighty-five year old vicar's wife, you're twenty-three for God's sake! Live a little. Come on, look at this,' she said as she pulled a blood red basque covered in feathers from the rails and held it up to her best friend's slim physique.

Mortified, Aggie gulped loudly, her nostrils flaring.

Realising the extent of poor Aggie's embarrassment, Coco relented, putting it back with a shake of the head.

'Okay, okay. Just give me a minute to pay for these things.'

'I'll see you outside,' Aggie muttered, tripping over her own feet trying to get out of there as fast as she could.

Shivering as she reached outdoors, Aggie rubbed her hands up and down her arms as she crossed the High Street. Standing outside WHSmith, she avoided eye contact with everybody, her embarrassment still evident on her flushed face.

Five minutes later, Coco emerged with a huge grin, carrying a large carrier bag in her hand. Aggie watched as her smile faded, her head turning one way and then the other looking for her best friend.

Stepping out of the shadows, Aggie waved from across the pedestrianised street.

'I thought you'd buggered off home,' Coco shrieked as she tottered towards her in three inch heels perfectly suited for a shopping expedition.

'Come on, let's get a coffee. I need to check my emails.'

Linking arms, the two women walked towards Starbucks, just a few metres further down the shop-lined street. 'I'm dying for a cappuccino.'

Thank you Suzy for stopping by Jersey Girl Book Reviews and sharing with us a little about yourself and your writing career! 

About The Author

Although Suzy Turner is a Yorkshire lass at heart, she left her home town of Rotherham, UK, to move to Portugal with her family when she was ten. The Algarve continues to be her home, where she lives with her childhood sweetheart, Michael, two neurotic dogs and a cat who thinks she's a princess.

Shortly after completing her studies, Suzy was offered the position of trainee journalist for a local English newspaper. Her love of writing developed and a few years later she moved on to become assistant editor for the region's largest English language publisher. Since then she has also worked as the editor of one of the Algarve's most loved monthly lifestyle magazines. Early in 2010 however, Suzy began working as a full time author. She has since written several books: Raven, December Moon, The Lost Soul (The Raven Saga), Daisy Madigan's Paradise, The Ghost of Josiah Grimshaw, The Temporal Stone, Looking for Lucy Jo (The Morgan Sisters), Forever Fredless and And Then There Was You.


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Book Review

And Then There Was You by Suzy Turner

Publisher: Independent Self Publishing / Suzanne Turner Publishing

Publication Date: November 9, 2014

Format: eBook - 210 pages

              Kindle - 2297 KB

ISBN: 978-9899835177

ASIN: B00OTT7WYU

Genre: Contemporary Romance 

BUY THE BOOK: And Then There Was You

AMAZON - UK

AMAZON - US

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 Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours.

Book Description:

Three years ago, Eve Brooke had the most passionate, memorable night of her life. Unfortunately, it was with a man who wasn't her husband.

Can infidelity be forgotten? Not when her one night stand moves in next door, it can’t.

Eve Brooke has a pretty good life. She’s married to Matt, her childhood sweetheart, has an interesting career and lives in a nice house in the suburbs. If life is so perfect why did Eve sleep with a complete stranger during a trip to London? And why, three years later did he have to move in next door with his beautiful wife? As the attraction between them flares up again, Eve begins to question her marriage and wonders if it is fate or coincidence that has brought them back together…


Book Excerpt:

With the bandage firmly in place, Adam began to make circles on my ankle with his thumb. The slightest touch had such a massive effect and I felt like I might explode.

'A-A-Adam. Don't.' * 'I can't help it, Eve. I want to touch you all the time. Every minute of every day.'

'I know.'

Slowly he scooted forward so that my legs were straddling him. He leaned over and kissed my neck, upwards towards my ear, cheek and then he pecked the tip of my nose. I closed my eyes and groaned. He kissed my left eye and then my right, then back down, kissing my cupid's bow before he opened his mouth and pushed mine open with his tongue. It was delicious. I throbbed everywhere, from the soles of my feet up to my knees – up, up, up – and bang between my legs. like a firework had gone off inside me.

'Oh Adam,' I groaned. 'I want you so much.'

His hands moved carefully over my shoulders and down each arm, circling, probing, across to my breasts, which were aching to be touched. He slid his hand down my top, carefully moving my bra to one side so he could trace my nipple.

I was on fire, and no amount of water could put me out.

That is, until there was a knock at the door.

'Shit,' I exclaimed, pushing myself off him guiltily.

Adam swallowed loudly and sat back, closing his eyes, trying to contain himself and calm down the massive erection bulging in his trousers.

I rearranged my bra and brushed myself down, using my hands to flatten my hair.

'I'd better get it,' he said. 'You shouldn't walk.'

'Ahem,' I said pointing to the continued bulge.

'Oh, I'm trying to...'

'I'll go. It is my house, after all.'

Stumbling clumsily across the living room, I closed the interior door behind me and leaned back against it. Taking a deep breath, I hobbled to the front door.

Opening it, I was shocked to find my parents standing on the step.

My Book Review:

An instant attraction between a man and woman leads to a one night stand ... only to have fate step in three years later when they become neighbors ...

Adam and Eve met in London and their instant attraction led them to having a memorable one night stand. Fast forward three years later, and Eve is happily married to Matt, that is until she is thrown for a loop when Adam and his wife Charlie move in next door. Memories of that passionate night plus an undeniable connection draws Adam and Eve back towards each other. While Adam and Eve feel guilty and don't want to hurt their spouses, they can't fight the pull of attraction ... but theirs isn't the only attraction that is happening ... Will their marriages survive, or will they give in to their deep feelings for each other?

And Then There Was You was an intriguing and multi-layered romance story that easily drew me into Adam and Eve's story.

Author Suzy Turner weaves a compelling story about the complexity of relationships that is filled with love, emotion, intensity, and passion, intertwined with conflict, loss, difficult life choices and decisions.

As Adam and Eve's story unfolds, there is enough intriguing twists and turns that will keep the reader engaged and turning the pages. With a realistic cast of characters and true to life relationship circumstances, And Then There Was You is a touching story of true love that will leave a smile on your face.


RATING: 4 STARS 

                                   

Virtual Book Tour

 And Then There Was You by SuzyTurner ~ Virtual Book Tour Page

Tour Schedule:

December 29 – Polished and Bubbly– Review & Excerpt 
December 29 – Novel Escapes– Q&A
December 30 – All Things Bookie– Q&A
December 30 - Chick Lit Plus – Review
December 31 – Ski-Wee’s Book Corner– Excerpt
January 2 – Curling Up With a Good Book – Q&A
January 5 - Jersey Girl Book Reviews – Review, Q&A & Excerpt

Love, Albert by Lynda Simmons (Book Review / Contest Giveaway)

In association with Goddess Fish Promotions, Jersey Girl Book Reviews is pleased to host the virtual book tour event for Love, Albert by Author Lynda Simmons!

Book Review

Love, Albert by Lynda Simmons

Publisher: Bluefoot Press

Publication Date: October 27, 2014

Format: Paperback - 242 pages

             Kindle - 421 KB

ISBN: 978-1500639693

ASIN: B00OYUHHGM

Genre: Romantic Comedy

BUY THE BOOK: Love, Albert

AMAZON

GOODREADS

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 Goddess Fish Promotions.

Book Description:

Sometimes all love needs is a road trip, a rubber chicken and a touch of magic...

Vicky Ferguson loves her husband Reid, always has, always will. But with two kids to think about, it’s time for the free-wheeling, sports car loving pilot to put his feet on the ground and lay down some roots. Reid can’t imagine life without Vicky but neither can he see himself pushing a lawn mower or driving a mini-van. They’re on track to a divorce neither one wants until a last request from beloved Uncle Albert puts them on the road together one last time.


Book Excerpt:

“Which brings us to the issue at hand,” the lawyer said and opened a file. “I have here the last will and testament of Albert Ferguson. Handwritten but perfectly legal.” He leaned down and picked up Albert’s old leather suitcase. It was the only thing the old man ever carried – the true master of travelling light. Lyle set the case on the desk, undid the straps and slid back the zipper. Reached inside and came up with a pair of Groucho Marx glasses, complete with bulbous pink nose, bushy eyebrows, and a formidable mustache.

Reid sat forward. “Not the glasses,” he said, a smile already tugging at his lips.

Lyle nodded solemnly and put them on, carefully adjusting the nose over his own before picking up the paper again. The lawyer’s delivery was perfectly straight, if a bit nasal. “I, Albert John Ferguson, being of sound mind and body— ”

Reid glanced over at Vicky. She was staring at the lawyer, eyes wide, lips pinched tightly together, holding back her laughter.

“Do hereby bequeath all my worldly goods to my favorite nephew and niece, Reid Allan Ferguson and Victoria Ann Ferguson, to be used as they see fit. This includes one hand buzzer, one whoopee cushion, one pair of Groucho glasses.” He reached into the suitcase again. “One rubber chicken –”

“I’ll take that.” Vicky’s face turned pink when the lawyer paused and looked at her over the nose of the glasses. “For the kids,” she added, and turned to Reid. “Unless you want it.”

“Not at all.” He pointed to the suitcase. “But I’ve got dibs on the fl y-in-the-ice-cube.”

“One fly-in-the-ice-cube,” Lyle continued, and set it in front of Reid. “One can of worms—”

“Snakes,” Reid cut in. “They’re snakes.”

The lawyer slid the can toward him and Reid popped the lid. Three long colorful snakes sprang from the tin and flew over the desk, squeaking as they bounced against the walls. “They were always his favorite.” Reid smiled at Vicky. “Do you mind if I take them?”

She held up the whoopee cushion. “Not as long as I can have this,” she said, and Reid understood why Albert had loved her, too.

“You can go through the rest on your own later,” Lyle said, taking off the glasses and setting them aside. “But in return for his worldly goods, Albert has a favor to ask.”

Reid raised his head. “A favor?”

“More of a decree really.” Lyle cleared his throat and resumed reading from the will. “In return for my worldly goods, Reid and Vicky must promise to take my remains to Seaport, Oregon. ”

The chicken’s head bobbed as she sat up straighter. “But I thought he’d already been buried.”

“Not quite.” Lyle lifted a plain white shoebox out of the suitcase and set it on the desk in front of them. “He’s been waiting for you.”

Reid stared at the box. “That’s Albert?”

“Ashes to ashes.” The lawyer picked up the box. “I know it’s not much to look at, but it’s practical, sturdy, and holds up to five pounds of loved one, no problem.” He looked from Reid to Vicky. “The point is Albert didn’t want a fancy urn because he wasn’t planning to spend much time in it anyway.”

Reid shook his head. “I don’t understand.”

Lyle smiled. “Your Uncle Albert wants to fly one last time.”

My Book Review:

Love, Albert is a lighthearted romantic comedy that follows the story about a couple who are heading towards a divorce, until a deceased uncle's final request in his will brings them together on a journey that might bring them back together.

Vicky and Reid Ferguson have been together for eight years, but six months ago the realization that they want two very different lifestyles derails their marriage, and even though they love each other, the differences in their lifestyle choices has them on the road to getting a divorce. That is until Reid's Uncle Albert unexpectedly passes away and leaves his estate to Vicky and Reid. Albert requests that Vicky and Reid take his ashes to Seaport, Oregon, and scatter them at Jackson's Point. Can a deceased uncle's final request and a road trip from California to Oregon be the unexpected and perfect way to bring Vicky and Reid back together for a fresh start?

Author Lynda Simmons weaves an entertaining tale that easily draws the reader into Vicky and Reid's journey. With a nice mixture of drama, humor, and romance, Uncle Albert's last wishes unknowingly brings this couple back together as their journey up the west coast gives them a last chance to patch their marriage up before heading for divorce court.

The author does a wonderful job of giving the reader a picture of how funny Uncle Albert was in life, and how this lovable prankster's divine intervention unexpectedly draws his two favorite people together, a broken couple who are still very much in love with each other, only to be at odds when it comes to agreeing upon a marriage based on a common lifestyle. You can't help but cheer on Vicky and Reid as the road trip gives them an unexpected and much needed chance to air out the differences in their marriage, along with the hope that Uncle Albert's last wishes will be enough to bring them back together. I loved the mixture of humor and romance that was interwoven throughout the story, it made the story both entertaining and endearing, and it easily kept me turning the pages and wondering if the road trip would save Vicky and Reid's marriage.

Love, Albert is an enjoyable story about a couple's undeniable love that is given a second chance through a departed loved one's divine intervention. It is a sweet story that will leave a smile on your face.


RATING: 4 STARS 

                                    

About The Author

Lynda Simmons is a writer by day, college instructor by night and a late sleeper on weekends. She grew up in Toronto reading Greek mythology, bringing home stray cats and making up stories about bodies in the basement. From an early age, her family knew she would either end up as a writer or the old lady with a hundred cats. As luck would have it, she married a man with allergies so writing it was.

With two daughters to raise, Lynda and her husband moved into a lovely two storey mortgage in Burlington, a small city on the water just outside Toronto. While the girls are grown and gone, Lynda and her husband are still there. And yes, there is a cat - a beautiful, if spoiled, Birman.

When she's not writing or teaching, Lynda gives serious thought to using the treadmill in her basement. Fortunately, she's found that if she waits long enough, something urgent will pop up and save her - like a phone call or an e-mail or a whistling kettle. Or even that cat just looking for a little more attention!

AUTHOR WEBSITE
AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE
FACEBOOK
TWITTER
GOODREADS

Contest Giveaway

Win A $50 Amazon or B&N Gift Card

One randomly chosen winner via Rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/B&N gift card.

Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning.

The tour dates can be found here:

http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2014/11/virtual-book-tour-love-albert-by-lynda.html


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Virtual Book Tour

 Love, Albert by Lynda Simmons ~ Virtual Book Tour Page

Tour Schedule:

December 8: Long and Short Reviews
December 9: Romance Novel Giveaways
December 10: Aly's Miscellany
December 11: It's Raining Books
December 12: 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, and Sissy, Too!
December 15: Marlow Kelly
December 16: Lisa Haselton's Reviews and Interviews
December 17: The Pen and Muse Book Reviews
December 18: Flirting with Romance
December 19: Welcome to My World of Dreams
December 29: Deal Sharing Aunt
December 30: Undercover Book Reviews - review
December 30: Rachel Brimble Romance
December 31: My Tangled Skeins Book Reviews
December 31: Wickedly Wanton Tales
January 1: Bunny's Review - review
January 1: Unabridged Andra's
January 2: Jersey Girl Book Reviews - review
January 2: Indie Authors
January 5: Paranormal Romance and Authors That Rock
January 5: Word Menagerie
January 6: SiMPLiREAD - review
January 6: DRB1stChp Blog
January 7: Books N Pearls
January 7: RhiReading
January 7: Readsalot - review
January 8: Romantic Fanatic
January 8: Reecaspieces
January 9: Harlie's Books - review
January 9: Beer, Books and More

Happy New Years ~ Welcome 2015!

As 2014 comes to a close, I want to take the time to thank 

everyone for allowing me the opportunity to share my 

passion for reading with you this year. To the wonderful 

community of blog followers, readers, authors, book 

reviewers / bloggers, publicists and virtual book tour 

promoters, it has been a blast to share our mutual love for 

reading. I look forward to what 2015 has in store for us, 

may it be filled with many remarkable books to talk about!




Sincerely, Kathleen aka Jersey Girl Book Reviews