Hadley and Grace - Suzanne Redfearn

Suzanne Redfearn took inspiration from the movie Thelma and Louise for her new novel, Hadley and Grace. But she's made this story her own. 

Hadley has endured her marriage to Frank. She's been biding her time, waiting for the moment when she can take her two kids and disappear. Grace has a five month old and a hard luck past. She too is looking for a fresh start. The two women's lives cross in a fortuitous twist of fate. They need each other for that one night....or maybe a bit longer.....

They're on the run and the reader just can't help but cheer them on. I don't know what it is, but I am always on the side of the underdogs. Redfearn has done a great job creating and fleshing out two very different leads. I think readers will have a favorite out of the two. For me, it was Grace - she's lived a life I can identify with. The two women are polar opposites, but each has skills the other lacks. Rounding out the cast is teenager Mattie and all her angst, baby Miles and Skipper. Skipper is based on a real life figure - a baseball savant. Redfearn's character copes with life in the same fashion. And he quite endeared himself to me. The adult male characters are easy to define and play supporting roles. The POV alternates between Hadley and Grace.

On a more serious note, Redfearn does weave some serious themes into her story along with as exploration of family and friendship.

 This was a great escapist read and I knew the ending I wanted. Redfearn surprised me a little bit with a plot turn I hadn't anticipated. The journey to those final pages includes lots of action, a gamut of emotions, setbacks, triumphs and more. Pragmatists may question some of the nuts and bolts of their road trip and their eluding the authorities, but take it with a few grains of salt - the story is more than the details.  Here's an excerpt of Hadley and Grace.

"Suzanne is the bestselling author of four novels: Hadley & Grace, In an Instant, No Ordinary Life, and Hush Little Baby.

Born and raised on the east coast, Suzanne moved to California when she was fifteen. She currently lives in Laguna Beach with her husband where they own two restaurants: Lumberyard and Slice Pizza & Beer. In addition to being an author, Suzanne is an architect specializing in residential and commercial design." You can connect with Suzanne on her website, follow her on Twitter and like her on Facebook.

Giveaway - Pretty Little World - Elizabeth LaBan and Melissa DePino

I've got a great giveaway today for those of you who enjoy contemporary fiction!

In Pretty Little World, authors and real-life friends and neighbors Elizabeth LaBan and Melissa DePino present a snapshot of a modern family with a sentimental yearning for community.

From Lake Union Publishing:

"On a cozy street in Philadelphia, three neighboring families have become the best of friends. They can’t imagine life without one another—until one family outgrows their tiny row house. In a bid to stay together, a crazy idea is born: What if they tear down the walls between their homes and live together under one roof? And so an experiment begins.

Bucking the trend of an increasingly fragmented society more accustomed to isolation than cooperation, the friends create a shared space that's as practical as it is idyllic—six adults to keep you company, six pair of hands to pick up the slack with the kids and the housework. But before long, love, lies, and lust collide, and their "pretty little world" gets rocked by reality" Read an excerpt of Pretty Little World. Sound like something you'd like to read? Enter using the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck!

"Elizabeth LaBan is the author of The Tragedy Paper, which has been translated into eleven languages, The Grandparents Handbook, which has been translated into seven languages, and The Restaurant Critic's Wife. She lives in Philadelphia with her restaurant-critic husband and two children."

"Melissa DePino is a former high school English teacher and founding partner, principal, and editorial director of Leapfrog Group, a branding and marketing firm for nonprofits. She grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia and earned degrees at both Villanova and Temple Universities. She lives in Center City, Philadelphia, with her two sons. Pretty Little World is her first novel."

Giveaway is open to US only, no PO boxes please. Ends January 21/17.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Smoke - Catherine McKenzie

I've been a fan of Catherine McKenzie from her first book. She's just released her fifth novel - Smoke. Each of the previous four books have been completely different reads - I never know what to expect when I start one of her books. But what I do know is that I'm going to enjoy it.

Elizabeth fought wildfires as a profession for over ten years, travelling to where she was needed. Its taken a toll on her personal life though. So, now she stays put, living with her husband in a quiet mountain town in the Rockies. Instead, she works as an investigator for the town's attorney. But when an out of control fire threatens the entire town, her skills as an arson investigator are called into play again.

Elizabeth's ex-friend Mindy is also worried about the fire. She knows something is 'off' with her teenage son - and has been for quite a while. And whether or not she wants to admit it, she wonders if he might have had something to do with starting the fire.

Smoke is told in alternating chapters from both women. I really enjoy dual narrative novels - a second look at a same event and/or two stories that will intersect farther down the road as more is revealed.

Although the fire is the stage for the novel, there's much more to Smoke. The personal lives of Elizabeth and Mindy are explored - motherhood, friendship, love, marriage and secrets. While Elizabeth is the 'lead' character, I found myself more drawn to Mindy. I didn't like Elizabeth's secret keeping from her husband - and her justification for those choices. Mindy has made some questionable choices as well, but I was more inclined to forgive her. Her 'redemption', if you will, appealed to me more. McKenzie does a great job of creating a 'mean girls' group that Mindy hangs out with. (But I do want to know what happened to the siphoned library money?) The petulant and aggressive teens are also well drawn.

The mystery of who started the fire runs through the entire book of course. I did have the 'whodunit' sussed out before the end, but quite enjoyed the journey to the final reveal. The fire, the methods used to fight it and the mindset of a firefighter were well researched and believable.

I'm always intrigued by cover choices and titles. I'm not overwhelmed with this cover, but the title made me think of the old adage - "Where there's smoke, there's fire." And its applicable in so many ways to much of the plot line and many of the characters in Smoke.

Smoke is another engaging, easy read from McKenzie. Those who enjoy contemporary women's fiction with a touch of mystery will enjoy Smoke. Get a sneak peek - read an excerpt of Smoke.

A graduate of McGill University in History and Law, Catherine practices law in Montreal, where she was born and raised. An avid skier and runner, Catherine’s novels, Spin, Arranged, Forgotten and Hidden, are all international bestsellers and have been translated into numerous languages, including French, German, Portuguese, Turkish, Slovakian and Czech. Hidden was also a #1 Amazon bestseller and a Digital Bookworld bestseller. She has also published a novella, Spun, which is a sequel to Spin. She is currently at work on her sixth novel, which is expected to be published in 2016. Visit her online at her website, on Facebook  and on Twitter.