Book Review: The Hollow Girl by Hillary Monahan

Series:	Standalone
Genre:	Young Adult, Horror
Publication Date:	October 10, 2017
Format:	eBook
Published By:	Delacorte Press
Website:	Hillary Monahan
	The Hollow Girl on Goodreads
My review copy:	Borrowed from local library

Where to get:

For fans of Asylum, Anna Dressed in Blood, and The Haunting of Sunshine Girl comes a new feminist horror novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Mary: The Summoning.

Five boys attacked her.
Now they must repay her with their blood and flesh.

Bethan is the apprentice to a green healer named Drina in a clan of Welsh Romanies. Her life is happy and ordered and modest, as required by Roma custom, except for one thing: Silas, the son of the chieftain, has been secretly harassing her.

One night, Silas and his friends brutally assault Bethan and a half-Roma friend, Martyn. As empty and hopeless as she feels from the attack, she asks Drina to bring Martyn back from death�s door. �There is always a price for this kind of magic,� Drina warns. The way to save him is gruesome. Bethan must collect grisly pieces to fuel the spell: an ear, some hair, an eye, a nose, and fingers.

She gives the boys who assaulted her a chance to come forward and apologize. And when they don�t, she knows exactly where to collect her ingredients to save Martyn.

(Goodreads)

The Hollow Girl was my last read of 2017 and the book that officially doubled my Goodreads goal. It was also an amazing book to end the year on. Graphic and intense, but amazing.

After Silas and his friends brutally assault Bethan and leave Martyn for dead, Bethan and Drina (aka Gran) give the boys a chance to apologize. When they don't, Gran informs Bethan that �their fates are yours. You can harvest them for what you need and banish them as mochadi. You can harvest them and allow them to stay. You can bind them to you to serve. You can kill them all if it pleases you. Whatever you choose, I support you.� That's love, guys.

Bethan goes through the emotions of mutilating these boys, from determination to regret and back again. She reminds herself of what they did to her and Martyn, which allows her to feel little pity regarding their fates.

Bethan grows from a shy and timid girl to a strong and fierce woman - extracting revenge by cutting off body parts will do that to people. There are times when Hillary gets rather graphic, but if you're not phased by gore and blood you'll be fine. If you are someone who isn't a huge fan of gore, deal with it because while this is a story of revenge, it's also about love, family, and not letting the bastards win.

Book Review: The Way I Used to Be by Amber Smith

Series:	Standalone
Genre:	Young Adult, Contemporary Fiction
Publication Date:	March 22, 2016
Format:	Audiobook
Published By:	Simon Schuster Audio
Website:	Amber Smith
	The Way I Used to Be on Goodreads
My review copy:	Borrowed from local library

Where to get:

In the tradition of Speak, this extraordinary debut novel shares the unforgettable story of a young woman as she struggles to find strength in the aftermath of an assault.

Eden was always good at being good. Starting high school didn�t change who she was. But the night her brother�s best friend rapes her, Eden�s world capsizes.

What was once simple, is now complex. What Eden once loved�who she once loved�she now hates. What she thought she knew to be true, is now lies. Nothing makes sense anymore, and she knows she�s supposed to tell someone what happened but she can�t. So she buries it instead. And she buries the way she used to be.

Told in four parts�freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior year�this provocative debut reveals the deep cuts of trauma. But it also demonstrates one young woman�s strength as she navigates the disappointment and unbearable pains of adolescence, of first love and first heartbreak, of friendships broken and rebuilt, and while learning to embrace a power of survival she never knew she had hidden within her heart.

(Goodreads)

The Way I Used to Be is a powerful and emotional novel. I listened to it in two days, finishing as an eBook because I couldn't stop and had to find out how it ended.

The story starts with Eden's rape. It's not grotesque, but not pleasant either. She wakes the next morning thinking it was a dream but quickly finds out it was real. She knows she should tell her Mom, but has trouble finding the words to do so. Instead, she showers and heads downstairs to have breakfast with her family and Kevin.

What follows is Eden's experience through high school while dealing with this traumatic event she has not told anyone. She experiences many common firsts in high school (making friends, losing friends, romantic relationships, etc.) while at the same time trying to "move on" from what happened without actually moving on.

Her relationships with her parents and brother suffer, she sleeps in a sleeping bag on the floor, and finds a comfort in continually updating her number with a string of random guys.

This story is raw and powerful. While a work of fiction, it's heartbreaking to know that some semblance of Eden's story and character is true to life. Individuals who have gone through traumatic experiences and are trying to cope with what happened to them. Trying to live.

It's at times uncomfortable and unsettling, but Amber handles this with grace, class, and honestly. Eden goes through a hard and lonely journey, but at the same time her journey is a meaningful one that ends with something we could all use a little more of: hope.

In 2018 I Will . . .

2017 is officially over and done with. It was quite a year in many many ways, but I think the best way to sum it up is with a quote from A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Mass (thanks, Mor):

�There are good days and hard days for me - even now. Don�t let the hard days win.�#Describe2017WithABookQuote

� Andrea (@beutybutfunygrl) December 27, 2017

I don't go too crazy with resolutions because I think it's important to be your best self at all times of the year, but there's just something about the new years and the "fresh start" that I think really gets people motivated. I'm not going to lie, the tabula rasa philosophy does give me a warm and cozy feeling. Very blanket-just-from-the-dryer.

Reading/Blogging Goals

Read 30 books. I made a goal of 30 books for 2017 and blew it out of the water (58 books), but that was in part to audiobooks. I listened to a lot of audiobooks in 2017. Since I've gone through a lot of my "backlog" with audiobooks, I'm thinking 30 books is a realistic goal.

Finish series I've started or catch up to those still in progress. I hate having to run away from spoilers or falling so far behind that it feels like I'll never catch up. This resolution kind of goes hand-in-hand with my next goal.

Read the books I am excited about instead of putting them off (for some unknown reason). I've gotten books that I bought and borrowed from the library that I am so excited to read and then they sit on my shelf for a weeks before I finally pick them up. I have no idea why I do this, but it's got to stop.

Be a more efficient blogger. I got away from blogging regularly after Teacup Human was born - it's a lot of work keeping a human alive! I want to get back to writing more reviews, discussion posts, spotlights, and random thoughts.

Life Goals

Take pride in my appearance. We all have those days where we just don't care and how we look is how we look. Lately, I feel like I've had too many of those days. I always feel just a little bit better amount myself when I go that extra step. I don't feel the need to go all out every day, but taking a little more pride in how I look on the day to day basis will go a long way.

Savor the moments. With today's technology, I think it's easy to get lost on Facebook, Twitter, or whatnot when you should be more focused on spending time with the ones you love. It's crazy how quickly your kids grow up and I don't want to miss a single moment.

Complete (at least) one home project a month. We bought a new house in October and while it was 80% move-in read, I'm hoping I can make a dent in that 20% bit by bit so I'm not overwhelmed. Luckily nothing is huge, but it's those little changes that will make it feel homier.

Create my family yearbooks. I created a family yearbook through Shutterfly for 2016 and loved it! I used to print out my photos and add them to photo albums and it would take forever, especially when I wouldn't print out pictures for months, if not a year plus. I'm definitely going to create one for 2017, but I'd like to go back and create one for 2015 and earlier.

What are some are you 2018 goals?

Little Broken Things by Nicole Baart {Book Review & Giveaway}

Congrats to Nicole Baart! So much buzz about this book and I was lucky enough to get a copy from Netgalley to read early! "Little Broken Things" is now available. Get your copy today. 

Little Broken Things by Nicole Baart
Published by Atria Books on November 21st, 2017
Genre: Suspense

I have something for you. When Quinn Cruz receives that cryptic text message from her older sister Nora, she doesn�t think much of it. They haven�t seen each other in nearly a year and thanks to Nora�s fierce aloofness, their relationship consists mostly of infrequent phone calls and an occasional email or text. But when a haunted Nora shows up at the lake near Quinn's house just hours later, a chain reaction is set into motion that will change both of their lives forever.

Nora�s �something� is more shocking than Quinn could have ever imagined: a little girl, cowering, wide-eyed, and tight-lipped. Nora hands her over to Quinn with instructions to keep her safe, and not to utter a word about the child to anyone, especially not their buttoned-up mother who seems determined to pretend everything is perfect. But before Quinn can ask even one of the million questions swirling around her head, Nora disappears, and Quinn finds herself the unlikely caretaker of a girl introduced simply as Lucy.

While Quinn struggles to honor her sister�s desperate request and care for the lost, scared Lucy, she fears that Nora may have gotten involved in something way over her head�something that will threaten them all. But Quinn�s worries are nothing compared to the firestorm that Nora is facing. It�s a matter of life and death, of family and freedom, and ultimately, about the lengths a woman will go to protect the ones she loves.

Anger and affection made awkward dance partners, and Quinn couldn�t decide whether she loved her sister in that moment or hated her just a little

The list of my weaknesses is long and varied, but none so great as my tendency to inertia. At the moments I most need to go, I find myself crippled and terrified.

I am still in aww of how this novel wrapped around my heart and tour at my chest with so much power, I could hardly take a break from reading this authors beautiful words. This novel was written with such passion and fire, I still can't believe this is my first read by Nicole Baart. I have fallen in love with her writing and find myself adding all her books to my Goodreads shelf. This novel is told by three women Quinn, who lives near her mother with her artist-husband Walker, Nora, the oldest d I am still in complete aw of how this novel wrapped around my heart and tour at my chest, with so much power, I could hardly take a break from reading the authors beautiful words. This novel was written with such passion and fire, I still can't believe this is my first read by Nicole Baart. I have fallen in love with her writing and find myself adding all her books to my Goodreads shelf. I am still shocked that with all the books I read, this is the first time I have picked up one of her books. I will be rectifying that mistake very soon!   This novel is told by three women Quinn, who lives near her mother with her artist-husband Walker, Nora, the oldest daughter and the wild child who ran away right after high school and the mom Liz, who has spent her entire life trying to be the perfect wife and perfect mother and made herself into a person that her daughters are unable to trust or connect with. Add to these three women, a small girl, Lucy, who Nora leaves with Quinn for protection but protection from what or who? Quinn doesn't know and her mother isn't supposed to find out about any of this. Quinn has made a promise to Quinn. Little does she know, how hard this promise will be to keep.  Soon we are drawn into a story of family, friendship, lies and incredible suspense. The story slowly unravels while the reader is salivating at the possibility of more. The author gives you just enough in each chapter to make the reader urn for more. I could not put this book down. I found myself reading at stop lights, on my lunch hour and late into the night.  This book is going to be on so many lists of must reads, I predict we will see this book everywhere. I'd highly recommend readers to pick up their copy asap. I gave it an enthusiastic 5 stars.

Nicole Baart was kind enough to offer a giveaway with my post. This giveaway is open to anyone in the US. Enter to win a paperback copy of "Little Broken Things" by Nicole Baart. 

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Nicole Baart is the mother of five children from four different countries. The co-founder of a non-profit organization, One Body One Hope, she lives in a small town in Iowa. She is the author of eight novels, including the upcoming LITTLE BROKEN THINGS. Nicole is a proud Tall Poppy Writer and a firm believer that we are, and always will be, better together. Find out more at NicoleBaart.com or connect with Nicole on social media.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NicoleBaart/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicolebaart/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NicoleLynnBaart

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The Sullivan Family Book 1-3 by Bella Andre {Book Reviews, Quotes, & Synopsis}

The Sullivan's Boxed Set Books 1-3

by Bella Andre

on Tour September 1 � October 31, 2017

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published by: Oak Press, LLC
Publication Date: December 2015
Number of Pages: 662 (for the 3-book set)
ID: 2940157256548 (BN) B018ZY7USM (ASIN)
Purchase Links:  Amazon Goodreads

More than 6 million readers have already fallen in love with the Sullivans! Now get ready to meet your new favorite family in Bella Andre�s New York Times and USA Today bestselling contemporary romances with the first three books in the #1 hit series.

�Not since Nora Roberts has anyone been able to write a big family romance series with every book as good as the last! Bella Andre never disappoints!� Revolving Bookcase Reviews

THE LOOK OF LOVE
Chloe Peterson is having a bad night. A really bad night. The large bruise on her cheek can attest to that. And when her car skids off the side of a wet country road straight into a ditch, she�s convinced even the gorgeous guy who rescues her in the middle of the rain storm must be too good to be true. Or is he?

As a successful photographer who frequently travels around the world, Chase Sullivan has his pick of beautiful women, and whenever he�s home in San Francisco, one of his seven siblings is usually up for causing a little fun trouble. Chase thinks his life is great just as it is�until the night he finds Chloe and her totaled car on the side of the road in Napa Valley. Not only has he never met anyone so lovely, both inside and out, but he quickly realizes she has much bigger problems than her damaged car. Soon, he is willing to move mountains to love�and protect�her, but will she let him?

FROM THIS MOMENT ON
For thirty-six years, Marcus Sullivan has been the responsible older brother, stepping in to take care of his seven siblings after their father died when they were children. But when the perfectly ordered future he�s planned for himself turns out to be nothing but a lie, Marcus needs one reckless night to shake free from it all.

Nicola Harding is known throughout the world by only one name � Nico � for her catchy, sensual pop songs. Only, what no one knows about the twenty-five-year-old singer is that her sex-kitten image is totally false. After a terrible betrayal by a man who loved fame far more than he ever loved her, she vows not to let anyone else get close enough to find out who she really is�or hurt her again. Especially not the gorgeous stranger she meets at a nightclub, even though the hunger � and the sinful promises � in his dark eyes make her want to spill all her secrets.

CAN�T HELP FALLING IN LOVE
Gabe Sullivan risks his life every day as a firefighter in San Francisco. But after learning a brutal lesson about professional boundaries, he knows better than to risk his heart to his fire victims ever again. Especially the brave mother and daughter he saved from a deadly apartment fire�and can�t stop thinking about.

Megan Harris knows she owes the heroic firefighter everything for running into a burning building to save her and her seven-year-old daughter. Everything except her heart. Because after losing her navy pilot husband five years ago, she has vowed to never suffer through loving � and losing � a man with a dangerous job again.

I've hoped for this for so many years, waited for someone to come along whom you could finally love more than your family, someone who would turn you inside-out and toss you off your path,' His mother looked positively gleeful in the face of his misery. 'Someone just like Nicola for you to blow it with.

Looking for the good in people is never stupid.  

You never told me how the story ends, Gabe."
She held her breath, waiting for his response.
His expression held all the love and desire she knew he felt for her.
"It doesn't.�

Meet the Sullivan Family. 

Six men and two women with a single mom who couldn't love them more. 

Smith - The Hollywood Actor

Marcus � The Winery owner
Chase � Photographer
Ryan � The Pro baseball player
Zach � An Owner, auto shop chain
Gabe � Firefighter
Lori � The Dancer
Sophie - The Book Nerd/ Librarian

The first book in this incredible series "The Look of Love" starts off telling us the story of Chase and Chloe. Chase doesn't think much about women in general. He's always been able to get a warm body whenever he's needed it. Then he sees Chloe stranded on the side of the road and he can't help but rescue her. This starts their intense friendship that Chase isn't sure he can let go of even if Chloe isn't ready for more.
This was my very first book by the famous Bella Andre even though I've been hearing her praised for years. I just never got around to reading any of her books. When I heard about these books, I decided to give it a try. I'm a sucker for the family romance series. I'm so happy I did. I'm completely hooked on the Sullivan's and couldn't wait to read more.

The second book in this series "From This Moment On" tells the story of Marcus and Nicola or Nico as her many fans know her as. Marcus just got out of a relationship with the woman he actually had planned to marry but soon realizes what a mistake that would have been. Marcus decides to go back to what he knows best, one night stands. He goes to a nightclub to find the girl he will love just for one night, no families, no personal information, no drama. He is determined. Then he meets Nicola and all bets are off. He doesn't even know who she is which she thinks is perfect. She can't believe how lucky she got that the one guy she wants to take home doesn't know what a celebrity she is. She hides from the paparazzi and quickly ducks the cameras. They soon make it into the limo. That's when she starts to freak out. I mean who is this Marcus person and how does she know who he really is, after all she has learned the hard way no one can be trusted?
I again fell in love with these characters so well imagined by Bella Andre. Marcus was strong but vulnerable. Nicola was famous but not at all what you'd expect a pop star to act like. I was really surprised how much I connected with this story since I loved the first so much. I didn't think it was possible to like this one more but it happened.

The third book in this series "Can't Help Falling in Love" was about Gabe Sullivan and Megan Harris. OMG!! Seriously, I think these books get steamier and better as I go. I don't know how the author did it but she surprised me yet again. Gabe is a firefighter. Now anyone who is not thinking of a shirtless hotty has a much better control of their imagination than I do. Firefighters are my thing. Gabe gets called away from a family event to go to a burning building and help out. He quickly assesses the dangers and goes in with his fellow firefighter to save as many people as possible. He learns from a neighbor that a woman and her child are stuck inside upstairs. Gabe struggles to get to them in time. Their story quickly gets underway when we learn that neither can be with the other as Gabe doesn't date survivors he's saved and Megan lost her husband to a scary job and won't put her daughter through that loss again. But do their hearts agree with their heads?

Bella Andre is the New York Times, USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of �The Sullivans�, �The Maverick Billionaires�, �The Morrisons�, and the NYT bestselling �Four Weddings and a Fiasco� sweet romance series written as Lucy Kevin.
Sign up for Bella�s newsletter at www.BellaAndre.com/Newsletter Visit Bella�s website at www.BellaAndre.com Follow Bella on twitter at www.twitter.com/bellaandre Join Bella on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bellaandrefans

Having sold more than 6 million books, Bella Andre�s novels have been #1 bestsellers around the world and have appeared on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists 32 times. She has been the #1 Ranked Author at Amazon (on a top 10 list that included Nora Roberts, JK Rowling, James Patterson and Steven King), and Publishers Weekly named Oak Press (the publishing company she created to publish her own books) the Fastest-Growing Independent Publisher in the US. After signing a groundbreaking 7-figure print-only deal with Harlequin MIRA, Bella�s �The Sullivan's� series is being released in paperback in the US, Canada, and Australia.

Known for �sensual, empowered stories enveloped in heady romance� (Publishers Weekly), her books have been Cosmopolitan Magazine �Red Hot Reads� twice and have been translated into ten languages. Winner of the Award of Excellence, The Washington Post called her �One of the top writers in America� and she has been featured by Entertainment Weekly, NPR, USA Today, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and TIME Magazine. A graduate of Stanford University, she has given keynote speeches at publishing conferences from Copenhagen to Berlin to San Francisco, including a standing-room-only keynote at Book Expo America in New York City.

If not behind her computer, you can find her reading her favorite authors, hiking, swimming or laughing. Married with two children, Bella splits her time between the Northern California wine country and a 100-year-old log cabin in the Adirondacks.

BT: Three Last First Dates by Kate O'Keeffe {Book Review & Quotes}

Congrats to Kate O�Keeffe! The third book in her Cozy Cottage Cafe series, THREE LAST FIRST DATES, is available now!

Three Last First Dates by Kate O'Keeffe Series: Cozy Cottage Cafe #3 Published by Wild Lime Books on October 31, 2017 Genres: Romantic Comedy

When it comes to men, Marissa Jones is totally committed to not being committed. One major heartbreak is enough for her.

Against her better judgment, Marissa agrees to a pact with her friends to marry the next guy she dates. But she isn't going to take any chances. For her, it's a numbers game, and one last first date just isn't enough. So, she ups the ante--three first dates with three very different guys, all in one day.

But can any of these men live up to her high standards?

Despite a few bumps in the road, from the three, she chooses The One. That is until the motorcycle-riding ex she never got over turns up, changing everything.

In the end, do you choose love or does love choose you?

Escape to New Zealand in this fun, feel-good chick lit story.

I always liked to work out which Hollywood star the guys I dated resembled. If I couldn't find one, or much worse, the guy resembled someone like Danny Devito, I didn't take things any further. Call me shallow, but I liked a guy to be easy on the eyes

I took a series of deep breaths, calming my nerves. It was one thing for me to begin to feel like Nash was the guy for me, it was quite another for him to say it out loud

"Another freak-out?" Nash asked gently. I nodded, not trusting my voice to speak. 

A commitment phobe, in a bet to meet "her one" with her three best friend, Marissa Jones decides to give it everything she has. She decides to commit to three dates with three different men and one of these men would be her last first date. After all, the pact had worked for her two best friends, Paige and Cassie. She was convinced the only thing she needed to do was get over her silly excuses and go in with both feet first and she would find the man of her dreams. 

I have adored every book in this series so far and this one might actually be my favorite. Although I must admit I might have said that about the other two as well. :) What's not to love? The Cozy Cottage Caf� serves any kind of pie the girls desire, the funny situations these friends get into are a hoot and the men sound swoon worthy by an author that I have quickly fallen in love with.

I speed through her books because I can't seem to put them down. Her protagonist this time is independent, career oriented and a great friend but she has a bit of commitment issues. She is really good at finding things wrong with EVERY guy she meets. That is until she promises her friends that these three dates she's setting up are guaranteed to be her last. I highly recommend you picking up this series today for the friendship, mayhem and love stories.  

About Kate O�Keeffe

Kate O'Keeffe is a bestselling author of fun, feel-good romantic comedies. She lives and loves in beautiful New Zealand with her family, two scruffy dogs, and a cat who thinks he's a scruffy dog too. He's not: he's a cat.

She is a wife, a mother, and a chocolate expert. Seriously. She loves to read, to hang out with friends, and to hike up the big hill behind her house each day.

To date, she�s written the Amazon bestselling chick lit series, the Cozy Cottage Caf�, the Wellywood Romantic Comedy Series, a fun holiday novella, and co-authored One Way Ticket with fellow author, Melissa Baldwin.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon | Instagram

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Blog Tour Organized By:

Blog Tour: A Novel of Clara Bow by Laini Giles {Book Review & Giveaway}

The It Girl and Me: A Novel of Clara Bow by Laini Giles

Publication Date: March 25, 2017

Sepia Stories Publishing

eBook & Paperback; 341 Pages

Series: Forgotten Actresses, Book #2

Gere: Historical Fiction/Biographical

Daisy DeVoe has left her abusive husband, her father has been pinched for bootlegging, and she�s embarrassed by her rural Kentucky roots. But on the plus side, she�s climbing the ladder in the salon of Paramount Pictures, styling hair for actress Clara Bow. Clara is a handful. The �It� Girl of the Jazz Age personifies the new woman of the 1920s onscreen, smoking, drinking bootleg hooch, and bursting with sex appeal. But her conduct off the set is even more scandalous. Hoping to impose a little order on Clara�s chaotic life, Paramount persuades Daisy to sign on as Clara�s personal secretary. Thanks to Daisy, Clara's bank account is soon flush with cash. And thanks to Clara, Daisy can finally shake off her embarrassing past and achieve respectability for herself and her family. The trouble begins when Clara�s newest fianc�, cowboy star Rex Bell, wants to take over, and he and Daisy battle for control. Torn between her loyalty to Clara and her love for her family, Daisy has to make a difficult choice when she ends up in the county jail. Here, Daisy sets the record straight, from her poverty-stricken childhood to her failed marriage; from a father in San Quentin to her rollercoaster time with Clara, leaving out none of the juicy details.

Daisy DeBoe grew up in Kentucky dirt poor with a jailbird father and then ends up leaving her abusive husband Ray after getting punched in the face. She's had far from an easy life, but she's determined to make something of herself. She starts to work at a beauty salon in Hollywood and learn the ropes from her friend Vi.

Daisy hears about a job from a customer at Paramount Studios doing hair for the stars and can't pass up the opportunity to try. She ends up really hitting it off with their biggest star Clara Bow.
The two quickly form a friendship and the head of Paramount asks Daisy to be Clara Bow's personal secretary. The studio head believes Miss DeBoe will really keep Clara in line as everyone knows she needs looking after. She's a bit rough around the edges.

Thanks to Daisy ,Clara's accounts are soon high in cash and she can finally shake the bad members of her family who only use her for money. Daisy and Clara become inseparable and go everywhere together. Clara let's Daisy write checks and buy nice things for Clara's many boyfriends and even gifts for herself at times. They had complete trust in each other until the inevitable happens. Clara meets a new man. That's when the two women reach an impasse bigger than either of them could have ever imagined.

If I could give this story more than five stars I would. It deserves all the stars! I was completely enthralled with the storyline and the characters from beginning to end. The author does an amazing job of having the language depict the era, The vivid detail she uses to describe all the places Clara and Daisy travel to how frightening it must have been for actors to jump from silent filming to having to speak to the camera is completely mesmerizing. There were so many different characters that came in and out of Clara's life, from her many boyfriends, to reporters and fans she meets along the way, the story did such a great job presenting them and explaining how they ended up in Clara's life.

Although I've always been a lover of historical fiction, I don't recall ever hearing about books on the silent actors and actresses that worked during that time. I can't wait to read more from this author and more regarding the subject. This book deserves all the praise. I would highly suggest picking it up as soon as you can.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Chapters

About the Author

Originally from the counterculture mecca of Austin, Texas, Laini discovered a love of reading early on, and when she was eight, decided to be Nancy Drew. This dream was dashed when she realized she was actually a big chicken, and that there were no guarantees of rescue from tarantulas, bad guys with guns, and other fiendish plot twists. She finished her first "mystery novel" (with custom illustrations) when she was nine. She set the writing aside for a while when life got in the way, but was led back to it through her interest in genealogy and 18 months of enforced unemployment due to moving north for maple-flavored goodies and real beer. Reading old microfilm stirred new life into her interest in writing, and watching early silent films struck the match. Like most other writers, most of her monthly budget is spent on coffee and books. She lives with her husband and their two gray cats in Edmonton, Alberta. For more information, please visit Laini Giles' website. You can also connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Goodreads.

Blog Tour Schedule

Wednesday, November 1Kick Off at Passages to the Past Thursday, November 2Feature at What Is That Book About Friday, November 3Feature at So Many Books, So Little Time Monday, November 6Review at Bookish Tuesday, November 7Feauture at WS Momma Readers Nook Thursday, November 9Review at Beth's Book Nook Blog Friday, November 10Review at A Bookaholic Swede Monday, November 13Review at Creating HerstoryExcerpt at Myths, Legends, Books & Coffee Pots Wednesday, November 15Review at A Chick Who Reads Friday, November 17Excerpt at A Literary Vacation Monday, November 20Feature at Let Them Read Books Wednesday, November 22Feature at The Lit Bitch Thursday, November 23Review at Locks, Hooks and Books Friday, November 24Feature at CelticLady's Reviews Saturday, November 25Excerpt at T's Stuff Tuesday, November 28Review at View from the Birdhouse Wednesday, November 29Review at A Book Drunkard

During the Blog Tour we will be giving away 5 paperback copies of The It Girl and Me! To enter, please enter via the Gleam form below. Giveaway Rules � Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on November 29th. You must be 18 or older to enter. � Giveaway is open to US & Canada only. � Only one entry per household. � All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion. � Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen. The It Girl and Me