Book Review: The One and Only by Emily Giffin

 

Emily Giffin is one of my favorite women’s fiction authors. I recently finished her most recent novel, The One and Only. This novel has all of the classic Emily Giffin elements dealing with the themes of relationships, friendship, and family.

The theme of self discovery was displayed throughout the book. The main character, Shea Rigsby, is stuck in a rut in her hometown located in Texas. Everything from her job to her extracurricular activities revolve around her favorite sport, which happens to be football.

This was another heartwarming read by Emily Giffin. It was an easy read and I even listened to some of the book on audiobook. Some of the supporting characters stick out, but the pending relationship between Shea and Coach really move the storyline along.

I was rooting for them to become a couple and kept reading to find out when it would happen. I am looking forward to the next Emily Giffin book and will be starting a previous book written by her soon.

I rate this book a total of 5 stars.

Happy Reading and Writing,
Chineka

Pieces of it All Book Blast

 

On May  9, 2014 my author friend, Tracy Krimmer published her second book Pieces of it All. Here is the information about her book and more about her. Congratulations Tracy!!

 

Synopsis

An alcoholic. A scarred man. A thief.



Harvey, a twenty-two-year-old high school drop-out arrives home, a brief stint in rehab behind him and ready to start his life again. Then he meets Beth and her innocence and her desire to have it all capture him completely.



A girl on the cusp of womanhood. Determined. A bright future.



Beth, a recent high school graduate among the top in her class, can’t wait to get to college and fulfill her dreams. Then she meets Harvey and with his mysterious past, he stirs feelings in her she can’t ignore.

The chemistry between them is unmistakable but Harvey doesn’t trust easily and refuses to divulge his past to Beth though she wants to be a part of his future.

The pieces of their lives lie broken all around them, but can Harvey put his life back together and win Beth over before she begins her new life without him? And can Beth find the strength to become the woman she wants to be without sacrificing her integrity?

 

Author Bio

 

Tracy Krimmer started writing in grade school. Poetry was her first love, and after writing a series of one and two page stories in her third grade Creative Writing notebook, she knew she had many stories to tell. After taking a break from writing, she finally re-discovered her spark in 2012.

Pieces of it All is her first New Adult Contemporary Romance, and she is working on two new books now. An avid reader, she picks up books from almost every genre, and explores many in her own works.

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/tkrimms
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/KrimmerAuthor
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7153703.Tracy_Krimmer
Website: http://www.tracykrimmer.com

 

Buy Links

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1kOt71L
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1hzsbMp
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1s6sqDL
iBooks: http://bit.ly/1fYq21T

 

Happy Reading and Writing,

Chineka

 

Book Review: How To Say Goodbye

 

Title: How To Say Goodbye

Author: Amber Lin

Publication date: April 7th 2014

Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

 

Synopsis:
Amy has a secret: no one has ever held her hand. She doesn’t even know how to hug. Everybody thinks she’s brilliant, but that’s because school was all she had. Then she meets Dane, a golden-haired surfer whose easy charm and hot touch teach her what she longs to know.

Dane lives for the salty breeze and a sweet wave, because that’s all he has. He’s lived on the streets since he was fourteen. A drifter. Homeless. But Amy changes everything. Smart and accomplished, she’s everything he’s not. He wants to be the sort of man who deserves her.

Except that means facing down his past—and that past might very well swallow them both.

 

Review:

The two main characters of How To Say Goodbye are Amy and Dane. They couldn’t be more different and they come from opposite worlds. Amber Lin does a great job in distinguishing the two characters from one another. They each have their separate issues of life, but they somehow compliment one another with their strengths. Their budding romance is put to the test with much opposition and they work together in order to remain a couple.

I really enjoyed this read. Amber Lin has a writing style that flows seamlessly and she is very descriptive in her prose. Through the book Amy comes into being her own woman and Dane stands on his own two feet as a man. I enjoyed the growth of both characters throughout the book.

I would have liked to explore more of Dane’s relationship with his Dad in the book. Dane had several issues steaming from his childhood and it would have been nice to see him working through those issues in the book as a form of growth. Amy’s relationship with her Mom is strained and the reader can feel the tension of their relationship as they read on.

I give this book a rating of 4 stars.

There is a Rafflecopter for a $50 Amazon gift card. Click here to enter.

The blog tour schedule for How To Say Goodbye can be found here.

 

AUTHOR BIO:

Amber Lin is an author of edgy and emotional erotic romance. RT Book Reviews gave her debut, Giving It Up, 4.5 stars and called it “truly extraordinary.”

Author Links:
http://www.authoramberlin.com/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5827158.Amber_Lin
https://www.facebook.com/authoramberlin
https://twitter.com/authoramberlin

 

Happy Reading and Writing,

Chineka

Book Review: A Single Breath

 

 

Title: A Single Breath

Author:Lucy Clarke

Publisher: Touchstone

Publication Date: April 8, 2014

Genre: Contemporary Women’s Fiction

 

Review:

I have read Lucy Clarke’s debut novel, Swimming At Night, and this novel is no exception to Clarke’s writing.

In A Single Breath Clarke transports readers into a world of secrets and discovery with her rich and descriptive writing style.  Secrets are brought out in the marriage of Eva and Jackson after Jackson drowns, but everything isn’t as it seems. The points of view switch between Eva and Jackson.

Clarke paints a colorful picture of Tasmania where Eva travels to learn more about Jackson and his life. For any travelers you will want to board a plane to Tasmania with it’s pretty beaches and culture after reading this book.

Eva is easy  to relate to in the way Clarke describes the emotional roller coaster that she is on. You want to not like Jackson, but parts of his personality are charming.

Jackson’s brother Saul adds romance to the novel as he and Eva get closer. It’s nice to see the contrast between the two brothers and this also adds another conflict to the novel.

You will want to keep turning the page as Eva starts to put the pieces together and begins to move on with her life.

A Single Breath can be purchased here.

I give this book a rating of 5 stars.

Happy Reading and Writing,

Chineka

Reflections: Book Tour Day 5

 

 

This has been one great week on the blog tour for Love Illusion. The response to the book has been great. I’ve seen a lot of comments on how readers connected to the characters and how they enjoyed my descriptive writing style. It’s nice to see that all of my hard work and being a perfectionist in my writing pay off.

On day 5 of the blog tour Christy’s Written Word Love rated Love Illusion 4 stars. Christy had many positive things to say about the book, but a few things stood out to me. She loved the relationship between Lucy and Jade. She also loved how the story was told from three different point of views and how they all intertwined in the end. I’m glad that Christy loved the book so much.

Next week is week two of the blog tour. You will get to know more about me with more Q & A’s and there will be more reviews.

Don’t forget to enter the giveaway for the blog tour here.

I hope that you all have a happy and relaxing Easter weekend.

 

Happy Reading and Writing,

Chineka

Reflections: Book Tour Days 3 & 4

 

Day 3 of the book tour started off with a Q & A as well as an excerpt on Change the Word. I enjoyed answering Laura’s questions. My favorite question that she asked was: If you could spend a day with any literary character, who would it be and why?

On Jess’s Book Blog Love Illusion got a five star review. I was happy to see this and glad that Jess thought it was such a great read. In her review Jess said that she really enjoyed the book  and was really scared of Charles. She could also see Lucy’s strength as the book progressed. These are the things that I want readers to get out of the book and I’m glad that Jess did.

There was an excerpt in Everything Books and Authors. Readers can get a sense of my writing style and what Love Illusion is all about by reading the excerpt.

I can’t wait to see what day 5 has in store for the tour. Don’t forget to enter the giveaway here.

 

Happy Reading and Writing,

Chineka

Book Review: Gone Girl

 

Title: Gone Girl

Author:Gillian Flynn

Publisher: Crown

Publication Date: June 5, 2012

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense

 

Review:

I was in awe when I read Gone Girl. It is such a masterpiece written by Gillian Flynn. Just when you think you know what is going on the plot twists once again. I did not want to put this book down. It is unlike any book that I have read before.

The book alternates between the point of views of Nick and Amy Dunne. Amy disappeared on their fifth wedding anniversary and the whole book centers around finding out what happened to her.

Gillian Flynn weaves a thriller of deceit, love, and the question of do you really know who you marry? The descriptions in this book are lively and Flynn’s writing style keeps the reader intrigued to find out what happens next.

As the  reader you want to dislike Amy, but Gillian Flynn wrote her character in a way that you sometimes think she is brilliant. You also want to feel sorry for Nick in his plea to get his wife back.  A whirlwind of events happen with Amy’s disappearance and secrets are brought to light.

This is a wonderful read for anyone who likes thrillers and suspense. Also if you like watching Dateline NBC this book is definitely one  to put on your list.

I will be reading Gillian Flynn’s other titles in the future. I look forward to the movie Gone Girl releasing later on this year.

I give this book a rating of 5 stars.

Happy Reading,

Chineka

DIY Gel Manicure

Today I am going to show you how to do a gel manicure at home without the use of a UV light. This gel manicure will last a week or more with no  chipping.  That’s definitely a plus for me since I am constantly typing or doing projects. This way of doing the gel manicure has changed my manicure routine.

Before I found this method I would have to paint my nails every three days because they would start chipping. Now I don’t have to worry about painting my nails as often.

For this DIY gel manicure you will need 3 types of nail polish:

• Fast drying top coat (Sally Hansen Insta-dry is my favorite one)
• Gel coat – (Gelous Advanced Gel Nail Coat)
• Nail Polish Color

 

The process for this gel manicure is fairly simple with just five steps. With a little bit of patience and time this gel manicure is worth it. Make sure that your nails are clean and even before beginning.

 

Step One: Apply a thin coat of Gelous Nail Gel and let dry for one minute.

Step Two: Apply a thin coat of nail polish and let dry for three minutes.

Step Three: Apply another thin coat of the Gelous gel and let dry for one minute.

Step Four: Apply a second thin coat of nail polish and let dry for three minutes.

Step Five: Apply your top coat and let dry for one minute.

 

Tip: With each gel coat I make sure to seal the ends of my nail polish color. To accomplish this I just drag the tip of the brush across the tip of my nail.

Here is what my most recent gel manicure looks like. I am four days in with this manicure and I still have no chipping. If you try this method let me know how it works for you.

Happy Crafting,

Chineka

 

Reflections: Book Tour Day 2

Today Love Illusion was on the Ai Love Books Blog with a review and a Q & A. Although Love Illusion got its first rating of 3 stars the review given was not bad at all. She loved my descriptive writing style as the reviewer from yesterdays blog tour stop did. I’m glad that my writing style connects with so many people and that those that read it can see what I am writing as if they were in the scene.

The Q&A was a to the point one, but again readers can get to know me a little more. My favorite question asked was “How do you come up with the idea of the book? What is your inspiration?” I like the Q & A’s because some of the questions challenge me.

Day 3 of the tour is tomorrow with another Q & A and excerpt. Today has been another great day of the tour.

Don’t forget to enter to win a $20 Amazon gift card and a copy of Love Illusion by going here.

Happy Reading and Writing,

Chineka

Book Review: I Found You

 

Disclaimer ~I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review as a part of the Xpresso Book Tours Review Opportunities page

 

Book Review  ~ I Found You by Jane Lark

The opening scene of I Found You  is one that stays engraved in your mind long after you have finished reading the book.  From the beginning of the book I thought Jason and Rachel were a good fit for one another. It was great to see their relationship evolve from friendship to love.

From the first page of the book the characters are instantly relatable. You immediately connect with them. They seem like real people who have flaws as well as positives.

I loved how the point of view of Rachel and Jason went back and forth within each chapter. You can feel the different emotions and see the contrast in how each one is responding differently to situations. There is much opposition from family and friends are first, but they both stay strong through it all.

This was an easy read. The details are so vivid that while reading the book it played out in my mind like a movie.

I will definitely be reading more by this author.

I give this book a rating of  4  stars.

 

Happy Reading and Writing,

Chineka