Valencia and Valentine by Suzy Krause

June 17, 2019 By Leave a Comment


Valencia and Valentine by Suzy Krause
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction, Fiction
Length: Full length (244 pages)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Xeranthemum

For readers of Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, debut author Suzy Krause delivers a quirky, colorful story about love, loss, second chances, and what it means to truly live.

Valencia, a timid debt collector with crippling OCD, is afraid of many things, but the two that scare her most are flying and turning thirty-five. To confront those fears, Valencia’s therapist suggests that she fly somewhere—anywhere—before her upcoming birthday. And as Valencia begins a telephone romance with a man from New York, she suddenly has a destination in mind. There’s only one problem—he might not actually exist.

Mrs. Valentine is an eccentric old woman desperate for company, be it from neighbors, telemarketers, or even the funeral director (when you’re her age, you go to a lot of funerals). So she’s thrilled when the new cleaning girl provides a listening ear for her life’s story—a tale of storybook love and incredible adventures around the world with her husband before his mysterious and sudden disappearance.
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The stories of Valencia and Mrs. Valentine may at first appear to have nothing in common…but then again, nothing in life is as straightforward as it seems.

I decided to read this story based on the blurb. It sounded interesting and I thought it might be fun. Well, Valencia and Valentine was absolutely interesting but fun wouldn’t be my word choice. It was a story that spoke to the heart in a way that was unconventional and surprising. There were so many times I expected Valencia and Mrs. Valentine to meet. In the end, they did, but not in any way I could have guessed or imagined or predicted.

There were times during reading where I wanted to skim or skip some paragraphs or pages because I didn’t think the plot was moving fast enough. My advice, slow down, take it in, and keep on keeping on. I ended up doing that because I discovered there was this intangible sense, a knowing that I was heading for a revelation that I couldn’t fathom but I wanted to get to. I needed every little clue to understand.

The author wrote in such a profound and effective manner about Valencia and how OCD affected her life, it made my heart ache. It gave me insight into those whose lives are dogged by the specter of revolving doubts, questions, panic attacks, worries and the ever-present ‘what-if?’ – if they did or didn’t do something, would it cause harm? Then there’s the guilt that comes from the imagining and then the questions, is it really imagination or is it real? I can’t visualize feeling that way all day, every day, yet the author clearly showed me though the heroine’s point of view just how challenging and hard a life can be when dealing with OCD. It was an eye-opener.

The reason I didn’t give this novel five stars was because I did get the feeling like I wanted to skim through parts, to hurry up and get to where the good stuff I believed should be. The kick of it is, I needed all those reminisces from Mrs. Valentine, I needed to read about Peter’s interaction with Valencia and how she tried to like him back – I needed to understand these two ladies which meant I needed to not rush things and let the author guide me to where she wanted me to go.

Because I eventually became so invested in their stories, when I came upon the scenes about the plane ride, I turned into a water faucet. It came upon me so suddenly – the knowledge of what I had been actually reading and what it meant and I cried and sniffled and used many tissues. My heart broke, and yet, there was a nostalgic love and gentleness, and a bittersweet happiness woven into the wrap-up. Even with that little bit of brightness, as I type this, I’m tearing up all over again. My heart was engaged at a much deeper depth than I believed it could be and I credit my emotional response to the care and expertise of Ms. Krause’s writing.

Valencia and Valentine is a difficult book to describe because anything I think to say doesn’t seem to do it justice. It’s not my usual type of book and yet, I feel better for having read it. In my own life, I want to be more like Grace. She was a great secondary character and a wonderful ally for Valencia to have. Readers who enjoy books with serious substance shared with love, character driven plots and protagonists who are brought to life before your very eyes, should definitely consider reading this novel.

Filed Under: Mainstream Fiction, Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

By the Light of Embers by Shaylin Gandhi

May 21, 2019 By 12 Comments

By the Light of Embers by Shaylin Gandhi
Publisher: Briar Rose Publishing
Genre: Historical, Romance, Women’s Fiction
Length: Full (382 pgs)
Heat: spicy
Rated: 4.5 stars
Review by Poppy

It’s 1954, and twenty-two-year-old Lucia Lafleur has always dreamed of following in her father’s footsteps. While sock hops and poodle skirts occupy her classmates, she dreams of bacteria and broken bones—and the day she’ll finally fix them.

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With fractured hopes, she returns home to Louisiana, expecting nothing of the summer of ’54 but sweet tea and gumbo while she agonizes over her impending choice. There, she unexpectedly befriends Nicholas, a dark-skinned poet whose dignity and intellect are a salve to her aching heart. Their bond, initially forged from a shared love of literature, soon blossoms into something as bewitching as it is forbidden.

Yet her predicament deepens when a trivial misunderstanding between a local white woman and a black man results in a brutal lynching, and the peril of love across the color lines becomes chillingly real. Now, fulfilling her lifelong dream means relinquishing her heart—and escaping Louisiana alive.

Heart-warming, heart-rending and amazingly well written, By the Light of Embers is a book I recommend whole-heartedly to any lover of fiction, regardless of the genre you typically read. Trust me, this book was outside of my comfort zone for a variety of reasons but I was completely intrigued by the blurb, so just had to check it out, even knowing it likely wasn’t going to end well (or at least not in the way I wanted it to end).

The author, Shaylin Gandhi, is remarkably talented. Her prose is beautiful, descriptive, and not one word is ever wasted.  The story is believable and interesting, peppered with authentic historical facts brought alive by characters we really care about.  I really came to care deeply about Lucia, Nicholas and also Sebastian.  The other secondary characters we just as real and well written, but it was those three who mattered most to me.

It’s easy to forget that the Civil Rights Act wasn’t signed into law that long ago.  I had to keep reminding myself we were in the 1950s, not the 1850s because of the attitudes of the people in the book.  Women’s rights, too, were really in their infancy and having such a modern-minded woman like Lucia was enlightening.

I don’t want to talk too much about the story.  Even small tidbits might give away spoilers and that wouldn’t be fair to you as a reader.  I will say this, though, do yourself a favor and read this book.  I don’t think you’ll regret one moment of it.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

April 29, 2019 By Leave a Comment


Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
Publisher: Penguin Press
Genre: Recent Historical, Women’s Fiction
Length: Full Length (347 pgs)
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

In Shaker Heights, a placid, progressive suburb of Cleveland, everything is planned – from the layout of the winding roads, to the colors of the houses, to the successful lives its residents will go on to lead. And no one embodies this spirit more than Elena Richardson, whose guiding principle is playing by the rules.

Enter Mia Warren – an enigmatic artist and single mother – who arrives in this idyllic bubble with her teenaged daughter Pearl, and rents a house from the Richardsons. Soon Mia and Pearl become more than tenants: all four Richardson children are drawn to the mother-daughter pair. But Mia carries with her a mysterious past and a disregard for the status quo that threatens to upend this carefully ordered community.

When old family friends of the Richardsons attempt to adopt a Chinese-American baby, a custody battle erupts that dramatically divides the town–and puts Mia and Elena on opposing sides. Suspicious of Mia and her motives, Elena is determined to uncover the secrets in Mia’s past. But her obsession will come at unexpected and devastating costs.
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Little Fires Everywhere explores the weight of secrets, the nature of art and identity, and the ferocious pull of motherhood – and the danger of believing that following the rules can avert disaster.

There is a lot going on in this book.

I picked this up because it was recommended to me. It’s also set in a town, Shaker Heights, that’s not far from me. So it was a little like reading about places I knew. A little. It’s set in the late 90’s. I knew that time well.

The Richardson children and Pearl are interesting characters. In one way, they’re stereotypes of kids from that era. They could kind of be stereotypes of kids right now, too. Izzy is the kid who colors outside of the lines–all the time. Moody follows the rules to a T. Tripp is the quintessential jock who thinks of no one but himself. Lexie is the self-absorbed rich girl who has dreams only fit for a teenager. Then there’s Pearl. She’s been sheltered for a long time and when she finally comes out of her shell, she still isn’t sure who she wants to be.

Now don’t think this story is only about the kids. The city of Shaker and its planning plays a role in this book. Lots of things in life are planned–school, activities, graduation…when to have kids. But a lot of things can’t be controlled. That’s the overriding theme of this book–you can try to control a lot, but that’s when the great unknown throws curveballs to make sure you’re paying attention.

There are a few side stories in this book and each shows how the characters grow through the story. I liked and didn’t like how they changed. Some came into their own, while others seemed even more lost. I have to say Moody, the younger son, was my favorite because I saw a lot of my own tot in this young man. He wanted to be loved, followed the rules and seemed to be the most invisible.

If you’re looking for a novel that’s heavy on character and good for an afternoon read, then this might be the book for you.

Filed Under: Mainstream Fiction, Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , ,

A Lily in the Light by Kristin Fields

March 15, 2019 By Leave a Comment


A Lily in the Light by Kristin Fields
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full length (288 pages)
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Cholla

A harrowing debut novel of a tragic disappearance and one sister’s journey through the trauma that has shaped her life.

For eleven-year-old Esme, ballet is everything—until her four-year-old sister, Lily, vanishes without a trace and nothing is certain anymore. People Esme has known her whole life suddenly become suspects, each new one hitting closer to home than the last.
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Unable to cope, Esme escapes the nightmare that is her new reality when she receives an invitation to join an elite ballet academy in San Francisco. Desperate to leave behind her chaotic, broken family and the mystery surrounding Lily’s disappearance, Esme accepts.

Eight years later, Esme is up for her big break: her first principal role in Paris. But a call from her older sister shatters the protective world she has built for herself, forcing her to revisit the tragedy she’s run from for so long. Will her family finally have the answers they’ve been waiting for? And can Esme confront the pain that shaped her childhood, or will the darkness follow her into the spotlight?

What do you do when your world is turned upside down? Esme is only eleven when her sister, Lily, disappears one night, changing everything she once thought she knew about herself, her family, and the world around her. How will she manage to move forward, follow her dreams, and be all that she knows she can be when they can’t even find Lily?

Esme is a fascinating character and I immediately liked her. Honest, childlike, but more mature than you’d expect, she grabbed my attention and held it. She’s so torn between being free to live her own life and feeling guilty for not having paid more attention to her sister the night she disappeared. It’s heartbreaking to read at times because you can tell she truly had a bond with Lily. Although I have no doubt that her siblings, Nick and Madeline, cared about Lily, it’s also obvious that they didn’t have the same relationship with her that Esme did.

I loved being able to journey with Esme through the horror of her sister disappearing to her adult life as a dancer. She really grows and becomes her own person and I think a lot of that is because she was able to get away from her family who, in so many ways, stagnates and can’t get past Lily’s disappearance. Even though Madeline and Nick manage to move on, they don’t seem to have found the kind of freedom that Esme does with her dance.

A Lily in the Light is more than the story about a missing girl. It’s about faith, hope, and learning how to cope when you feel like you can’t even begin to understand what’s happened. I was totally swept up in this emotional novel, rooting not only for Lily to be found, but for Esme to find herself and a way to help heal her broken family.

Filed Under: Mainstream Fiction, Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Saving Anna by Sharon Struth

November 5, 2018 By 5 Comments


Saving Anna by Sharon Struth
Publisher: Kensington
Genre: Women’s Fiction, Contemporary
Length: Full (254 pgs)
Heat Level: sensual
Rating: 4 Stars
Review by Rose

Germany’s sparkling Rhineland is the perfect place for a fresh start . . .

Warming people’s hearts with true accounts of kindness is what columnist Anna Kelly does best. But no one knows the private misery she endures in her abusive marriage. Still, leaving is difficult—until a deeply personal bequest from a beloved elderly neighbor compels Anna to travel to Germany. There she begins an unexpected adventure of paying it forward that will take her far from her complicated life in Brooklyn.
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Arriving in the historic and picturesque city of Mainz, on the breathtaking Rhine River, Anna settles in at a cozy guesthouse filled with colorful residents. But fulfilling her task will require the help of a translator and knowledgeable guide.

Josef Schmitt will gladly shuttle the American visitor around if it distracts him from his dark thoughts. Ever since a serious accident sidelined him at the local excursions company, he’s been unable to forget the pain he caused or forgive himself. Now, accompanying Anna on her mission takes them both to surprising places—and they just may find the courage to truly set themselves free . . .

Anna, for the last two years, have led a life of abuse from her husband – caught in the trap so many abused women find themselves – thinking if they stick it out, maybe he will change and get help. Fortunately, an unexpected legacy from an elderly neighbor, along with a personal entreaty from him for her to travel to Germany on an errand, gave Anna the opportunity to leave her marriage and take some time for herself.

Saving Anna is the story of how Anna is indeed saved – not only saving her physical life, but emotionally and mentally as well coming to grips with what she had been subjected to. The travels she goes on while trying to fulfill Isaak’s request affects not only Anna, but also touches in a deep way Josef, the man who was hired to drive her and translate for her. He has his own demons to confront, and the story is as much about saving him as it is Anna.

This is a story of hope, of love, and the strength that can come from confronting the past – both the near past and the past that is further away.

Ms. Struth has done a wonderful job in capturing the emotions and conflicts Anna goes through as she attempts to start a new life. She also draws a wonderful picture of what life was like for the Jews in Germany during the time of World War II as Anna and Josef search for Isaak’s friend. What a remarkable book! Good job, Ms. Struth.

Filed Under: Mainstream Fiction, Other, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , ,

The Lost Letters of William Woolf by Helen Cullen

July 24, 2018 By 4 Comments


The Lost Letters of William Woolf by Helen Cullen
Publisher: Graydon House
Genre: Women’s Fiction, Contemporary
Length: Full length (334 pages)
Heat Level: sensual
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Lavender

Lost letters have only one hope for survival…

The Dead Letters Depot

Inside the walls of a converted tea factory, letter detectives work to solve mysteries of fate: missing zip codes, illegible handwriting, rain-smudged ink, lost address labels, torn packages, forgotten street names—these are the culprits behind missed birthdays, broken hearts, unheard confessions, pointless accusations, unpaid bills and unanswered prayers.

If you are looking at permanent enlargement options then you must go with a product cheap levitra that has been sold for a penny. Too much intensive exercise will keep the body functioning sildenafil 50mg http://amerikabulteni.com/2014/05/05/ozgur-medya-ulusal-guvenlige-tehdit-degil-sigortadir/ much better than cheap varieties. It starts out in a club or lounge with a guy viagra rx on the Internet I decided to visit Indonesia. Dosage suggestions for Kamaga Jelly The dosage format involves 25mg, 50mg and 100mg of which a normal person with good health is provided 50mg and older men with 25mg considering their health issues relating to sexual disorder. levitra on line But when letter detective William Woolf discovers letters addressed simply to “My Great Love,” his work takes on new meaning. Written by a woman to the soul mate she hasn’t met yet, the missives capture William’s heart in ways he didn’t know possible, and he must embark on a journey to solve what may be the most important mystery to come his way.

Helen Cullen’s The Lost Letters of William Woolf is an enchanting novel about the resilience of the human heart and the complex ideas we hold about love—and a passionate ode to the art of letter writing.

There is a mystery at hand. William has an interesting job. He’s a letter detective. Mail comes to him with unreadable or no addresses at all, and he must try to put clues together to make sure these little gems get to the right people. Lives could change if he’s successful.

Among all these great little mysteries is a big one. A woman writes letters to a man she is searching for, her great love. As William receives these letters and gets to work trying to figure out who she is, he becomes more and more intrigued with this fascinating woman. At the same time, he’s dealing with his own relationship issues with his wife.

He follows clues in the letters, sometimes to another country. Meanwhile, is he missing important things happening in his own home?

This book has great characterization. The author has done a fine job exploring relationships, hopes, dreams, disappointments, and renewed hope. The people in this book are so real to a reader discovering their quirks.

The story is beautifully written and flows across the pages, seemingly effortlessly. The author’s attention to deal is superb. Readers will like the characters and root for them. When trouble happens, the suspense is great. Will William end up with this mystery woman he’s been discovering, and if so, what will happen with the wife he loves? Meanwhile, she’s going through issues of her own.

Until the very end, readers will wonder what is to become of William, his wife, and this lady of the letters, so to speak. This is quite an enjoyable story and is recommended.

Filed Under: Other, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , ,

The Summer List by Amy Mason Doan

June 20, 2018 By 1 Comment


The Summer List by Amy Mason Doan
Publisher: Graydon House
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction
Length: Full Length (384 pgs)
Rated 5 stars
Reviewed by Snapdragon

Voted BoM by LASR Readers 2013 copy

Laura and Casey were once inseparable: as they floated on their backs in the sunlit lake, as they dreamed about the future under starry skies, and as they teamed up for the wild scavenger hunts in their small California lakeside town. Until one summer night, when a shocking betrayal sent Laura running through the pines, down the dock, and into a new life, leaving Casey and a first love in her wake.
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But the past is impossible to escape, and now, after seventeen years away, Laura is pulled home and into a reunion with Casey she can’t resist—one last scavenger hunt. With a twist: this time, the list of clues leads to the settings of their most cherished summer memories. From glistening Jade Cove to the vintage skating rink, each step they take becomes a bittersweet reminder of the friendship they once shared. But just as the game brings Laura and Casey back together, the clues unravel a stunning secret that threatens to tear them apart…

Mesmerizing and unforgettable, Amy Mason Doan’s The Summer List is about losing and recapturing the person who understands you best—and the unbreakable bonds of girlhood.

A serious and thoughtful novel, The Summer List drifts back and forth in time, offering unique perspectives from our main character, Laura. She recalls the magic of friendships of teen years and especially the character of her closest friend. She contends with the character her friend has become, as well as her own; so this is curiously a novel of two selves in one, giving we readers an intriguing, though sometimes uncomfortable perspective.

The novel is less nostalgic than psychological, and makes us stop and think; not only about the characters, but about our own once-selves, choices, and reactions. Although billed as a ‘coming of age’ story, it’s more of a confrontation of the self. The main character and her relationships are under review, and in the midst of redevelopment, all so very on-purpose. The work is serious, perhaps–faintly–a touch too serious.

The picturesque backdrop and frequent recollections lend the story a dreamy, thoughtful air. It’s beautifully written, with incredibly believable conversations a highlight. There are awkward moments, heart-lifting moments, times of self-doubt. Doubt in others, both ordinary friends and in the old/potential romance.

Many moments are evocative, but never overdone, never theatrical. Its definitely a novel one can re-read, and find new nuances each time. It is hardly light entertainment, but it is enthralling. Doan is a masterful writer; on style alone, I must give this 5 out of 5 stars.

Filed Under: Mainstream Fiction, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Cloud Whispers by Sedona Hutton

June 5, 2018 By 8 Comments


Cloud Whispers by Sedona Hutton
Publisher: Self Published
Genre: Women’s Fiction, contemporary, fantasy
Length: Full (318 pgs)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rated: 4 stars
Review by Rose

The daughter she gave away. The family she always wanted. The journey to redefine her fate.

Katie Callahan longs to start a family of her own. Infertile and unable to convince her relatives to accept the man she married, she regrets giving away the daughter from her secret teenage pregnancy. When a twist of fate brings a second chance at motherhood, she’s caught between joy and the fear of her husband’s rejection of another man’s child… until a devastating motorcycle accident rips the decision out of her hands.

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Cloud Whispers is a mind-expanding women’s fiction novel with a strong spiritual message. If you like headstrong heroines, heartwarming stories of family and forgiveness, and new age concepts, then you’ll love Sedona Hutton’s empowering tale.

Tension runs high between Kate and her husband as well as Kate and her parents, especially her father, who not only keeps pushing her to find an “important” job, but also kept secret the whereabouts of the baby she gave up for adoption when she was a teenager.

Following a serious motorcycle accident, Kate finds herself in a spiritual place the author refers to as “Tranquility” – a transitional holding area for souls who are between life and death – she is in a coma on earth. As she tries to figure out what she really wants out of life, we also see what is going on with her family on earth.

The characters in this book are all well drawn, and you can see a lot of growth in them. It can be enjoyed on many levels – there’s the physical world story and the spiritual world story; a story of love – man for woman, mother for child, child for parents.

The reader learns, along with Kate, how to utilize the power of intention and the law of attraction to get what she really wants out of life.

If you are interested in learning more about the power of intention and what our consciousness can really accomplish, or if you are simply interested in a good story, I suggest giving Cloud Whispers a try. It is beautifully written with a wonderful tension filled plot.

Filed Under: Mainstream Fiction, Other, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Willow’s Way by Sharon Struth

April 19, 2018 By 17 Comments

Willow’s Way by Sharon Struth
Publisher: Lyrical Press
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction
Length: Full Length (228 pgs)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rated: 5 stars
Reviewed by Rose

Voted BoM by LASR Readers 2013 copy

Willow Armstrong, the once-famous “Queen of Weight Loss” and president of Pound Busters, succumbed to stress eating after her divorce. Now the scandal of getting caught on camera binging on pizza, and the internet-wide mocking of her new curves, may destroy her career. Add in a business advisor who drained her finances, and Willow is out of options—until she learns she’s inherited a house in England’s most picturesque locale, The Cotswolds.
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Willow’s trip across the pond to sell the property and salvage her company soon becomes its own adventure: the house, once owned by grandparents she never met, needs major work. Plus, single dad Owen Hughes, the estate’s resident groundskeeper and owner of a local tour outfit, isn’t thrilled about the idea of leaving . . . Yet as Willow proceeds with her plans, she’s sidetracked by surprising discoveries about her family’s history–and with Owen’s help, the area’s distinctive attractions. Soon, she’s even retracing her roots—and testing her endurance—amid the region’s natural beauty. And the more she delves into the past, the more clearly she sees herself, her future, and the way home . . .

Willow’s Way is an apt title for this book – because Willow has definitely lost her way and this novel describes how she finds it again. The book opens with the fact that Willow, creator of a very successful and popular diet program, has been caught on film sneaking pizza. It sounds like a set up for a joke, but her life has become no laughing matter. She’s divorced, a trusted advisor has taken off with her company’s (and her own) money, and she’s a stress eater. Her board of directors are not happy that the face of their weight loss company has gone from a size 6 to a size 12, so the release of the video was not a good thing. As she’s weighing her options, she quite unexpectedly learns she has inherited a house in England – and makes a decision that quite literally changes her life.

I absolutely loved Willow… I can identify with her on so many levels. I love the way she took control of things. She was a fighter, it stood her in good stead. There were a lot of issues for her to deal with over the course of the book and dealt with them she did. In doing so, she learned a lot about herself and her past she never knew. She was the type of character I felt like I could sit down and have tea with.

The rest of the characters were just as richly drawn. Owen is just scrumptious and could quite easily become one of my favorite male characters. His daughter Jilly (and Henry, her dog) are just fall-in-lovable!

The setting is almost like another character in the book. I’m a not-so-hidden Anglophile anyway, and I felt like I had stepped into the pages of a Maeve Binchy book had she written English settings instead of Irish. I would have loved to live here.

There are no great conflicts in this book, but they aren’t needed. It’s a sweet look at one woman and her life and I stayed up way too late reading it! I was right there rooting for Willow all the time she was trying to find her way, and I was very sorry when the book ended.

I highly recommend this book!

Filed Under: Mainstream Fiction, Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

The Nevada Escapists’ Club by Jane Lark

April 18, 2018 By 4 Comments


The Nevada Escapists’ Club by Jane Lark
Publisher: Self Published
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction, Suspense
Length: Full Length (339 pgs)
Rated: 3.5 stars
Review by Rose

Zac senses the connection he has with the single stranger within minutes of their meeting. She, like him, sought a place to escape. But she isn’t running anymore. He is. Ali falls into a holiday affair with a troubled young man. She would never choose a man like him if she was at home. So what will happen when the Las Vegas fantasy is over and her sunglasses tinted view of the world returns to reality? She is supposed to forget everything. It was meant to stop there…

This story revolves around Zac and Ali, two wounded souls who find themselves members of a sort-of club, The Nevada Escapists’ Club – those people who find themselves in Las Vegas trying to escape from the reality that is their life. Some people go to Las Vegas for fun, but others because they can’t face what is going on in the real world. But can two such wounded souls help each other or will they bring each other down?
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Ali is a successful barrister who discovers that her perfect life is not what she thought it was and leaves England for Las Vegas to put some distance between her and her cheating husband. She’s lived through a lot before this marriage and so her reactions to discovering his unfaithfulness is certainly colored by that.

Zac has his own set of issues he’s trying to escape and, from the first time he and Ali meet, senses they have a lot in common and wants to find out more about Ali.

The Nevada Escapists’ Club starts out like a holiday romance…. boy and girl meet while on vacation…they discover a connection that takes them beyond the holiday. Yet, there are darker undercurrents that the reader discovers and twists that take it out of the romance element. Yes, there is romance, but there is so much more. Jane Lark looks into how our past influences in so many ways our present. Can we really escape being the people that our past has formed us to be.

There were some niggling editing issues that keep this book from being a full four, but that’s the editor in me. The main characters are well-drawn and their story is definitely a page turner. I was able to read the book in just a couple of nights because I was so drawn into their story and wanted to discover how they were going to overcome the issues they were facing.

Good job, Ms. Lark, on facing some tough issues face on and showing that there is hope for the abused to rise above it.

Filed Under: Mainstream Fiction, Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
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