Category Archives: Women’s Fiction

Review: The Comfort of Lies by Randy Susan Meyers

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“Happiness at someone else’s expense always came at a price. Tia had imagined judgement from the first kiss that she and Nathan shared. All year she’d waited to be punished for being in love, and in truth, she believed that whatever consequences came her way would be deserved.”

Tia is a bright young woman from the South side of Boston who fell hard for a married sociology professor, Nathan. After she discovers she is pregnant with his child, Nathan urges her to take care of it, flees from the relationship, and confesses to his wife. Tia struggles to do what’s right. She places their baby up for adoption, afraid she would make a terrible single mother, and even more terrified she couldn’t handle the constant reminder of her lost love.

Caving into pressure from her husband, Caroline becomes the adoptive mother to Tia’s daughter, Savannah. Motherhood is an afterthought for Caroline, something a woman is supposed to achieve, and she is far more fulfilled in her career as a physician than her role of a mother.

Tia decides to send her old lover a letter telling of their daughters existence. When Nathan’s almost forgiving wife, Juliette, intercepts it, the lives of these women suddenly collide with unexpected consequences. The story alternates between the three women’s perspectives as they wrangle with the repercussions of that five-year-old affair, matters far more raw than just an out-of-wedlock child.

The Comfort of Lies would make a wonderful book club selection.  The women, instead of falling into rigid characterizations, reveal themselves to be deeply layered and flawed. Each struggles with the pressure to do what’s right, even when the answers falls into the grey areas we are often afraid to discuss. The story calls into question what makes a good mother, who deserves to be a mother, and if parenthood is a right or a privilege.  All thought provoking topics ripe for discussion.

I also must add, this book made me reflect upon my own marriage and family, and caused me to treasure these often fragile relationships no matter how imperfect they may be.  The Comfort of Lies is a quietly powerful read, full of heart, both broken and mended.

Release: February 12, 2013

The Comfort of Lies
by Randy Susan Meyers
336 pages, Atria Books
$24 [hardcover], $11.99 [Kindle]



RandySusanMeyers.com/Facebook/Twitter

Island Dreams: Indie Phenom Tracey Garvis Graves

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Have you read On the Island yet? If not, you absolutely should. Go over to Bookshelf Bombshells for the full book review.

On the Island‘s author, Tracey Garvis Graves, could be the poster girl for Indie publishing success stories.

She wrote a compelling, risky, and slightly addictive romance about two people who shouldn’t be together stranded on a desert island. She sent off the dreaded query letters hoping to find an agent to represent her. Instead of snapping up the debut author’s intriguing story, agents quickly ripped off rejection letters. The book didn’t quite fit into the right genres. The storyline could be dangerous. It just wasn’t for them.

While most writers would crawl into a cave of self-doubt and shove their precious manuscript into the back of a drawer to rot, Tracey fought back. She decided to self-publish On the Island.

Now, many of us are scared of self-publishing. I know I am. There is the stigma that if you self-pub it’s because your book isn’t good enough for the mainstream bookstore shelves, it’s a sad reject filled with poor grammar, typos, and a plot seemingly contrived by a sixth-grader.

If you have read any of the millions of Indie self-published books out there (and if you haven’t, why not?) you know this is not always the case.

She uploaded her edited manuscript onto Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords.

Then this suburban mom harnessed the power of the internet, promoting her  book to the top of the best sellers lists. On the Island became a word-of-mouth (and blog) phenomena.

I learned about the book through another blogger. Actually, several blogs, but when someone who normally doesn’t talk about books mentioned it was a must read (thanks MomJovi), I downloaded it that day. Once I pulled up that first page, I was hooked. I stayed up past midnight finishing the book in one day.

Tracey’s book sales and loyal fans finally caught the attention of the “big boys.” She got an agent, a two-book deal from Penguin, and  MGM even optioned the book for a feature film.(And there’s constant online chatter about just which actors should play main characters T.J. and Anna.)

Word of mouth sales keep going up. I should get credit for a few copies in my Costco. Twice I watched a woman pick the paperback up, skim the back cover, look slightly puzzled, and set it down. “That was a great book!” I gushed. “It’s not smutty? It sounds … just … “  “It’s not a 50 Shades. At all. Trust me. Not creepy at all. I read it in a day.” They slipped the book into their carts.

PhotobucketWord. Of. Mouth.

Stop by Bookshelf Bombshells to read the full review. Come on: a 30-year-old teacher, her 16-year-old student,  a plane crash,  a deserted tropical island. Can love conquer all despite the odds? Should it? You know you’re intrigued.

The Meryl Streep Movie Club: A SheReads Review

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Newsflash: Today is the official launch of the She Reads Blog Network!

September’s Book Club Pick is The Meryl Streep Movie Club by debut author Mia March:  a novel of love, family, and movie night.

Through everything, Lolly has always been there for them, and now Isabel, June, Kat—and Meryl—must be there for her. Finding themselves. Finding each other. Finding a happy ending.

Fifteen years ago, a New Years Eve car accident shattered Lolly Weller’s family. She took in her orphaned nieces Isabel and June and raised them with her daughter Kat, but the girls have not remained close over the years. Now, faced with a tragic diagnosis of her own, Lolly calls them home to her coastal Maine inn to support her—and each other.

Each woman just happens to be at a crossroad in her life. June struggles as the ex-good girl who dropped out of college after her only whirlwind love affair left her as a single mother. Seven years later, she is desperate to discover why her lover abandoned their blooming relationship and her son yearns to find the father he has never known. Isabel is still railing after finding her husband with another woman. Can she brush aside the pain of her betrayal to find the life and the family she has always wanted?  Kat remained by her mother’s side all these years, helping Lolly run the The Three Captains’ Inn with charm and grace. She’s ambivalent about upcoming wedding and wonders if she will be settling instead of following her passions.

The three women, now stuffed together in their old attic bedroom, barely tolerate each other in the beginning.  All it takes is a little Meryl Streep (during the inn’s weekly Movie Nights) to get them to open up and see each other—and themselves—in a new light.

The story highlights how movies can touch a part of us we keep hidden and open clogged channels of communication. The “deep meanings” each woman pull from each movie are a tad bit too neat, but they come together nicely to mend the fractures in the family.  I could almost see the light bulbs going off over each character’s head she had her “ah-ha!” moment. But movies can do that. Especially Meryl Streep movies.

Though The Meryl Streep Movie Club delves into deep subjects, the writing keeps a light tone. The back cover proclaims it follows in the footsteps of The Friday Night Knitting Club and The Jane Austin Book Club, so readers should keep this genre in mind. Expect to get a bit teary-eyed, but it won’t rip you up. It’s more Mama Mia than Sophie’s Choice (but that’s good because I’ve watched Mama Mia at least a dozen times but can’t bring myself to watch Sophie’s Choice). I still found it light enough escapism to enjoy at the beach.

If you need a refresher on the classics or you’re looking for some movie night suggestions check out the list of all the films mentioned in the book (along with some fun movie & snack pairings) on the publishers website. It’s just one of the unique details that would  make this novel an entertaining book club selection. Women’s fiction and chick lit fans can not only discuss the book, but their favorite movies as well.

So grab some popcorn, keep a tissue in your pocket (just in case) and curl up in your favorite cozy chair (or beach lounge) with this book about love, loss, and family movie night. Just be prepared to hold your own Meryl Streep movie marathon soon after.  (I just added Out of Africa to my queue—I am embarrassed to admit I’ve never watched the movie or read the book—a problem I shall soon remedy.)


by Mia March
Gallery Books
325 pages

Read more about Mia: Facebook, Twitter and her website.

Review: Wallflower in Bloom by Claire Cook

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      “Poor little you. You’ve got it so bad. All you’re after is sympathy. Well, you can find it in the dictionary between shit and syphilis, and it’ll do you about as much good.”

     “Eww,” I said. “Don’t you dare ask me to write that down.”
Deidre Griffin is more than just an ordinary wallflower — she’s her families’ indispensable go-to girl and doormat. She lives in the shadow of her charismatic, New Age guru brother Tag—think Deepak Chopra meets Bono—and literally in the shadow of his home (she in a converted sheep-shed, he in the mansion). Though Tag employs his entire family, Deidre is the woman behind the curtain who runs all aspects of his business and life—by sacrificing her own.
When her long-term sometimes boyfriend announces he’s going to marry his knocked-up current fling, Deidre does what every woman would want to do: she rams him with her brother’s golf cart. Fueled by disappointment and disgrace, she tries to drown her worries in a Ben & Jerry’s Triple Caramel Chunk/chocolate soy milk/vodka milkshake. The next morning she discovers she *might* have taken advantage of Tag’s vast social network to vote herself into a coveted role on Dancing With the Stars.
Once the DWTS producer starts calling, Deidre realizes she may have conned her way into her opportunity of a lifetime. She decides to hideout in Hollywood, thinking she can escape her family, learn a few dance steps, and drop a few pounds before they realize she’s a fraud. A  fabulously talented dance partner, a new love interest (who still liked her after accidentally catching her in her rattiest underwear), and meddling ex-Deadhead family members round out the zany cast of characters on Deidre’s journey.
So many of us lose ourselves in our family. This delightful story is a daydream for millions of women who fantasize about breaking out, breaking a leg, and doing something just for themselves. Readers will cheer her on as she strives to learn her dance steps and battles her urges to inhale every junk food in sight. (When in doubt, eat. When in eat doubt.)
Playing into the whole Facebook, Twitter, and Dancing With the Starts frenzy, Wallflower in Bloom is a lively, timely read. I am embarrassed to admit I discovered the magic of Claire Cook books only a few months ago, and I am rushing to catch up on her past novels. Reading them is like settling into your most comfortable chair with your favorite romantic comedy movie or novel. Easy. Funny. Heartwarming.
On a side note: I also admit I’ve never watched DWTS. ::Cue gasps:: Okay, I did watch once when Heather Mills was on—I had to see how Sir Paul’s ex could foxtrot with a prosthetic leg—quite well, actually. Though I’m not a reality TV fan, Wallflower in Bloom gave me new insight into the work that goes on behind-the-scenes of the show. I still don’t know if I’ll ever watch it, but I absolutely will pick up Claire Cook’s next book.
Peace in, peace out.
by Claire Cook
257 pages
Touchstone
*Wallflower in Bloom is the She Reads Book Club August selection.  Check out SheReads.org  for author interviews and book club discussions.
**I received this complimentary book from SheReads.org. All opinions are my own.