Blog Tour - The Secret Letters

The Secret Letters by Abby Bardi

Publisher: Harper Collins Australia

Publish Date: 7/1/15

Genre: Women's Fiction

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My Rating:

About the Author

Abby Bardi is the author of THE BOOK OF FRED and THE SECRET LETTERS. She grew up in Chicago, went to college in California, then spent a decade teaching English in Japan and England. She currently teaches at a college in Maryland and lives in historic Ellicott City with her husband and dog.

About the Book

When thirty-seven-year-old slacker-chef Julie Barlow's mother dies, her older sister Pam finds a cache of old letters from someone who appears to be their mother's former lover. The date stamped on the letters combined with a difficult relationship with her father leads Julie to conclude that the letters' author was a Native American man named J. Fallingwater who must have been her real father.

Inspired by her new identity, Julie uses her small inheritance to make her dream come true: she opens a restaurant called Falling Water that is an immediate success, and life seems to be looking up. Her sister Norma is pressuring everyone to sell their mother's house, and her brother Ricky is a loveable drunk who has yet to learn responsibility, but the family seems to be turning a corner. 

Then tragedy strikes, and Julie and her siblings have to stick together more than ever before. With all the secrets and setbacks, will Julie lose everything she has worked so hard for?

Review

I enjoyed the style of writing right off the bat with this story. The dialogue flowed very easily and the author really made you feel like you were a part of this crazy family dynamic. The letters that Julie and Pam find while cleaning out their mom's house add an interesting element to the plot line. Since the novel is called "The Secret Letters" I was really hoping for more investigation and attention on the letters. I felt like they were super important for a brief moment but then they sort of just faded away as we got more into Julie's story.

Each of the siblings dealt with their mother's death in a unique way and I loved seeing the interaction and emotions they all went through. This family and their struggles, both individually and together, was very realistic and easy to relate to. The reveal and eventual resolution of the letters happened a bit too quickly for my taste. While I definitely didn't see the twist coming at the end of this book, it was both too tidy and open ended at the same time. I wish we could have heard how Julie's story ended.

All in all, this was a fun, easy read and I would definitely recommend it if you enjoy a good family drama story. It's funny and engaging and the author's first person POV was very well done. She deals with some pretty serious themes throughout this story but the writing never brings you down too much.

Pair This With

 The Hot to Trot red blend from 14 Hands Winery is one of my favorite "go-to" wines. It has flavors of red berries and dark stone fruits with just a little bit of spice. It paired perfectly with the light- hearted yet sassy tone of this novel.


  

Blog Tour - Circle Dance

Circle Dance by Lynne & Valerie Constantine
Publisher - Bookbaby
Publish Date - 11/7/12
Genre - Contemporary Women's Fiction
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My Rating:

About the Authors

    Lynne Constantine is a coffee drinking, twitter addicted, fiction writer always working on her next book. She is the co-author of CIRCLE DANCE, a family saga written with her sister, as well as the author of several short stories. She is the managing partner of a social media consulting firm & gives talks on the role of social media in publishing. She is a contributing editor to The Big Thrill magazine published by International Thriller Writers (ITW). She likes to run her plots by Tucker, her golden retriever, who rarely disagrees with her.

 She recently finished her first thriller, and a second book with her sister. Lynne is now working on a third women’s fiction collaboration with her sister. In her spare time the loves going to the beach, spending time with her family, and reading.

      Valerie Constantine was born in Baltimore, Maryland.  She has always loved books and spent too many nights reading by the light of her bedside lamp until 3 a.m. (Those were the days when she was able to stay up that late.)  She graduated from Nancy Drew to Shakespeare and went on to study at the University Maryland where she received a degree in English Literature. She is a contributing editor to The Big Thrill magazine and has also worked with St. John’s College as chair of their Meet The Authors Program. She is an active community volunteer working with a

Washington, D.C. organization that fights human trafficking and also as president of Assistance League of the Chesapeake, a philanthropic organization that helps and supports children in need. In her spare time she reads, kayaks and travels.  Valerie lives in Annapolis, Maryland with her husband and Zorba, their brilliant King Charles Cavalier.

About the Book:

Young, smart and beautiful with everything figured out – or so they thought. Born into a prosperous Greek American family, sisters Nicole and Theodora have achieved the perfect balance between the old world rich in Greek tradition and the freedom of life in America. 

Nicole’s world spins out of control when she falls for a married senator who shares her heritage and her dreams. The decisions she makes will affect the happiness of those closest to her and will define the woman she is to become. 

As Theodora struggles to succeed at her marriage, she seeks the wisdom and council of her beloved Greek grandmother who has been happily married for over half a century. Ultimately she must come to terms with the reality of her own life and take responsibility for the role she has played in deceiving herself. 

As the dramatic plot unfolds, the two young women must confront deceit and betrayal and their own shortcomings—while they struggle to preserve the values they cherish. 

Set in Baltimore, Annapolis and the tiny island of Ikaria, Greece, Circle Dance provides a view into the lives of a dynamic family that has successfully achieved the American dream without abandoning the customs and traditions handed down through their Greek heritage.

Review:

The initial synopsis of the plot of this story was enough to capture my attention and sign up for this tour. But, to be honest, I still wasn't so sure that I was going to enjoy it. Well, after about 10 pages in - I was hooked. The writing style was so smooth and easy, that it drew me in right away. You can't help but love Nicole and Theodora from the first few pages. The two of them are such different characters and I just couldn't wait to see how they were going to come out on the other side of very different struggles. 

When I imagine a Greek family, this was exactly how I pictured it. Passionate, close knit and full of life. It really brought this unique heritage to life for me. The bond between this family is one that can never be broken and they really stick together to get through tough times. Nicole and Theodora are incredibly easy to relate to and seem like real people that you might meet at a coffee shop or something. 

The plot line was somewhat predictable (there were a few twists and turns that I didn't see coming), but that didn't stop me from enjoying every page. I seriously did not want to stop reading and I spent many late nights doing the whole "one more chapter" bit until I just fell asleep holding my Kindle. I wanted so desperately for the "bad guys" to be caught and for resolutions to come to the girls. I couldn't get to the end fast enough!

Pair This With:

Hermes Greek White - For this book, it made me want to go search out a Greek wine. I had never tried one before and I was in the mood for a white wine. This one was light and crisp and went down easy. It has hints of peach and herbs. This would pair well with a mozzarella and tomato salad or seafood.