This may be true for most college students, but not for Leah Bennett. College life for her includes studying, working, and excelling in school. When it comes to the social ladder, Leah is at the bottom. Popular girls, hot guys and star athletes are of no importance to her, except for one.
Matthew Jacobs.
Matt is the starting wide receiver at SUNY Cortland, the most wanted guy on campus and Leah’s best friend. Although Leah’s feelings toward Matt run deeper than just a friendship, it is something she would never let be heard because the odds of someone like Matthew Jacobs going for someone like Leah Bennett are slim to none.
When Matt starts showing an interest in Leah that goes beyond friendship, she is dumbfounded and doesn’t believe it is possible – until one weekend that changes everything.
Will Matt and Leah’s popularity status get in the way of having a chance at a real relationship?
Or does status mean nothing when it comes to true love?
Review:
Overall this was a pretty good story. Although I don’t understand how a house, on a college campus, that houses athletes has beer in the refrigerator and the coaches (or police for that matter) don’t discourage underage drinking. Plus there is a reference to sorority hazing which is illegal. I think the book would have been just as good without all the F bombs. The descriptions did see realistic of the college experiences and the characters were deep and what I would imagine to find in this sort of novel. There are a few touching moments near the end of the book that made me misty.
I give it 3 1/2 paws
Trailer:
About the author:
Some may consider me a jack of all trades, but I consider myself well rounded.
I’ve waitressed, styled hair, answered phones and, most recently, worked full time as mom to my two beautiful little boys.
Then there was this book… Everyone and their brother started talking about this book series titled Fifty Shades of Grey by EL James. I didn’t really pay attention to the craze at first, since I wasn’t a big reader- okay, I didn’t read at all. But curiosity got the best of me, so I downloaded it to my kindle.
I was immediately hooked. I read the whole series in three days. Yes, three books in three days. I kept finding all these great books that I HAD to read (just ask my credit card!).
Then I started hearing voices. Voices that turned into stories; stories that were begging to get out of my head. I started writing them down on scraps of paper. Then I transferred them to my computer. Before I knew it, Planning on Forever was born.
The voices in my head are still talking, so I’m still writing.
When twenty-four-year-old Tiffany escapes her sister Kammy’s too wild Cancun bachelorette party, she finds herself in a bar with the unwanted attention of a gorgeous local named Luke.
Luke may be charming but Tiffany is leaving in two days and doesn’t need any complications. But complications are exactly what she gets when the cops show up to raid Kammy’s party. When Kammy is arrested, Tiffany agrees to have dinner with Luke, so he’ll help her get Kammy out of jail. Kammy’s arrest forces her to spend an extra day in Cancun, meaning she’ll miss a crucial meeting, and as an accountant in tax season, she is already drowning in work. Not to mention, every second she spends with Luke makes it harder to leave. With Luke, Tiffany is almost ready to forget about work.
Will the airport be their final goodbye?
Review:
This was a fast read for me, and I don’t think it was too long either. I find it fascinating the guilt that Tiffany feels when her mother pressures her to host (and pay for) her sister’s bachelorette party when the man she is married dated Tiffany first. True she was going to break up with him, but what a weird family dynamic! I did think that Tiffany was a little crazy for going off with a guy she met in Mexico not knowing anything about him. Perhaps I live too close to Mexico and hear about all the things that happen down there. There was probably more that we could have learned about the characters before it jumps to the end, but for a shorter story if flowed nicely. We give it 4 paws.
When twenty-four-year-old dance school drop out Kammy Marlowe is evicted by her mother, she goes to her favorite bar. She finds an unlikely friend in the blunt eye candy, Enrique. But Kammy knows there is no way she and Enrique have a shot because he’s her brother-in-law’s brother and has been privy to her wild past.
Enrique swears he’s only interested in the person she is today, but their relationship is tested when her ex-husband’s drug dealer attacks her, looking for money. With no options and a money hungry drug dealer on her back, Kammy accepts a position as a dancer at a strip club. But when Enrique shows up at the club, their relationship is over. With no reason to stay in Texas anymore, Kammy auditions for the Bolshevik Ballet and gets the opportunity to go to Russia. Only Enrique is determined to stop her.
Will she give up the chance of a lifetime to stay with the man she still loves?
Review:
I started this one right after The Fate of a Marlow Girl, and while the story was good, it didn’t grab me like the other one. Maybe it is because Kammy and Enrique were the black sheep in their family and it doesn’t seem like they should have gotten together? The story was still good and I liked that Tiffany and Luke were in this book as well (fairly prominently) and we learn more about what happens after book one and before book two starts. Kammy is a mess and of course still expecting big sister to bail her out. Enrique isn’t happy with his life but isn’t taking responsibility for it either. You just want to take them by the arms and shake them and say “grow up! life is NOT easy!” However the book ended nicely and sets it up for the third book in the series which is about the other brother.
We give it 3 1/2 paws
Amazon
Author Beth Fred
Meet Beth Fred! That’s me! I’m a full time ELF keeper and part time writer/blogger/writing instructor. I’m represented by Kathleen Rushall of Marsal Lyons Literary Agency. I like my tea hot, my romance sweet, and my guys chivalrous. Real men hold open doors, refer to you as ma’am, make promises they keep, and aren’t afraid to profess their undying love. It’s not breakfast if there aren’t carbs(at least, not in the South). Fajitas, carnitas, and churros are just few of my favorite things. Bet you can’t guess where I’m from 😉 Wanna know more about me? You can find that here:
At thirty, Nora Kehoe is feeling pressured to settle down. On a blind date, Nora unexpectedly ends up in the emergency room where she meets Dr. John Blessing. She hopes the pragmatic Dr. Blessing can make her life complete. Then, a passionate encounter with a childhood friend changes everything.
The charismatic Jean Marc Gaspard manages the family business, Gaspard Fisheries. But rumors abound that Jean Marc is running more than seafood through the waters around Manchac Louisiana. When a family crisis sends Nora to Manchac, she is thrown headlong into the dangerous world of smugglers and swindlers. And as Jean Marc tries to protect Nora from his past, he realizes he may lose her because of it.
The dark bayou waters run deep with secrets in Louisiana, and every Cajun knows how to dance the fine line between the right and wrong side of the law. But for strangers, learning the steps to staying alive in the swamps can be tricky. Life, and love, will be dependent on how well one can master the … Acadian Waltz
Review:
This story is set in Louisiana with ties to Dallas Texas….so this hit home for me as I live in the Dallas area and have family in southern Louisiana! The characters are believable and the setting is true N’awlins or southern Louisiana. Nora’s mother is overbearing, typical of a southern mother…and a Catholic to boot and she knows how to lay that guilt! So much that Nora accepts a proposal from a man that her mother will love but she doesn’t…but of course she doesn’t know that yet. She thinks that his actions should be accepted since he is a doctor. Meanwhile there is Jean Marc, a long time friend that she had not seen in quite some time. Let me tell you the sparks seem to fly with Jean Marc that aren’t with the good doctor, and THAT should be a tip off, don’t accept what you don’t like.
Overall the story was solid with interesting characters but sometimes Nora got on my nerves. I wanted to shake her to come to her senses. I enjoyed the story but it didn’t WOW me as other books have in the recent past, but it was still an enjoyable story. I give it 3 1/2 paws.
I like to read books by first time authors and especially when that author is a sorority sister! It just seems like there is something special reading a book by someone that has a connection to you in one way or another.
Ellen Cardona wrote Brownie Fix to help deal with the postpartum depression she experienced after one of her pregnancies. Through her writing, she found that postpartum depression was real but conquerable, especially when one has the help of some dark chocolate and even darker humor. When Ellen is not writing, she teaches literature to college freshmen and attempts to help them understand the writing process, though they think she’s crazy because of her love for literature and writing. She graduated from the University of Texas at Dallas with a PhD in Humanities with a specialization in Literature. Even though she has published several academic works on Ezra Pound, she could not ignore her true passion as a fiction writer. Ellen lives in Richardson, Texas and continues to learn daily from her husband and two children. In good times and bad, she still enjoys her brownies.
I was also able to interview Ellen to see how she felt about being a published author!
SBR: Since this is your first book, how does it feel to be published?
EC: It feels like I’m finally doing what I am supposed be doing, writing. It’s scary to release a book out to the public because some people will like it and some will not, but I can’t imagine not taking that step and releasing it. I don’t want to the play the “What if” game. Writing and now publishing feels right.
SBR: How long did it take to write your book and then get it published?
EC: It took me three years to write this book, and it took me a year to find a publisher, and then another year to “let her go”. Never in my life did I think I would self-publish because two years ago, it was looked down upon. All of sudden, when I signed the contract with my publisher, ebooks took off and writers started to self-publish. Even agents started their own publishing houses with ebooks and paperbacks. Never say never, but I don’t think I’ll ever sign with a publisher again. Iplan to self0publish all my books now, and I am very excited about this opportunity.
SBR: Do you have another book in the works?
EC: Yes, I have to plish it and then have my “test” readers go over it for any weird plot and grammar issues. I plan to release it next year. It’s called The Return of Raven and it is the first book in the Triology of Raven. The Return of Raven is about the birth of a goddess, who has long been forgotten, and how she comes to terms with who she is and her fate. Set in today’s time, it’s a coming of age story, except she becomes a goddess. Add a love triangel with ahunky guy and battle of good vs. evil, and I have a fun, fun story and trilogy. I can’t wait for The Return of Raven to be released to the public.
SBR: Tell us why we should read your book in 1 -2 sentences.
EC:Brownie Fix is a story about postpartum depression mixed with chocolate and some dark humor. It’s a bit offensive and funny, but there is a common thread that many women can relate to: how hard it is to find yourself again, your true self, when you’ve lost it or really never even known who you were in the first place.
SBR: Who is your favorite author and why? And from that author, what is your favorite book?
EC: Hard Question. My favorite modern author is Stephen King and his book, The Shining. It’s the scariest book I have ever read. I have to add a book that is the basis for my writing: Virgil’s Aeneid. The Aeneid, which I had to translate with much grumbling from Latin to English in high school, showed me how literature is put together with rhythm. I think that’s where I learned how to write with rhythm and develop my voice. The mythology in the book is the cornerstone for the books I write. The characters in the Trilogy of Raven are based on Greek gods, and the characters in Brownie Fix are based on Greek and Roman gods. Can you find them? (SBR – I found at least 1!)
SBR: What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?
EC: Chocolate chip cookie dough. I’m a digger for the cookie dough. Don’t give me a gallon of that ice cream because I will stand over it and spend all my time digging, and there will be nothing left except vanilla ice cream and big holes.
SBR: What do you do in your free time?
EC: I’m a runner an da cyclist. Right now, I’m training for a marthon, and I’m coaching a running class, which is so much fun. I also ride a tandem, a bicycle built for two, with my husband. Believe me, it takes communication skills to ride that tandem, and we go very fast. Also, I spend my time in the evening as a chauffeur for my children.
Synopsis:
Chocolate. Love. Sex. Really, what else could a woman want in life? For Persey, the heroine of Brownie Fix, her days are fun-filled until what is normally one of life’s most fulfilling experiences, the birth of her son, leads her straight into a dark state of postpartum depression.
Wandering in her own postpartum hell, Persey meets people that are absurd, like the swinging neighbors who want a little more than a cup of sugar and a group of mothers who become whipped up in worship to a climactic furor. On top of the madness, she keeps seeing a yellow-toothed old man who acts like he wants to breastfeed from her. Or is it her imagination? Add the voices in her head that become louder and louder, and it’s little wonder that Persey reaches for brownie mix to soothe her insanity.
Buckling under the pressure and lack of sleep from motherhood, Persey experiences the five stages of grief that lead her to uncover a buried secret, and gradually she begins to heal with the help of her family, friends, and, of course, brownies.
My Review:
I don’t think I realized when I first started this book that the main character was suffering from postpartum depression. I noticed it was very dark pretty quickly, but that didn’t stop me from becoming engrossed in the storyline right off the bat! I started the book with the intentions of just getting a quick peek since I needed to finish another book first…well about 4 chapters later I put it down! There are many times during the book that I just wanted to shake Persey and tell her to go get help! That she was depressed and what she was feeling was normal but not normal. But I like a book that engages the reader with the characters and can put themselves in the character’s shoes or related to them somehow.
Overall I’d give the book 3 1/2 stars and definitely recommend it to everyone!
