This Chick Read: Wait for It by Mariana Zapata

I’ll admit that I’m a pretty recent convert to Mariana Zapata’s style of writing. She believes in the build up of a relationship more than the outcome, the cake more than the frosting if you will. Her strength is in character development and this novel Wait for It delivers because by the time Diana and Dallas get together, we are so enmeshed in their strengths and weaknesses, so taken with their feelings, that we are sitting on the edge of our seats waiting for that moment to happen.

Diana’s story was unique. It wasn’t until about a 1/3 of the way into the novel that we finally realize that she is raising her brothers two sons and not her own. I mean, I know enough Spanish to know Tia is Aunt, so I got that clue, but I didn’t know the story of why she was raising these two boys, and when we find out, it is devastating. Diana, isn’t very old, maybe 26 if I’m remembering correctly? To raise two kids, juggle her life and job, as well as getting them to school and practice is an amazing feat that a lot of single parents face. Score one for Ms. Zapata in reaching into our hearts and giving it a good squeeze and also for humanizing Diana, making her easily identifiable.

Dallas is pretty similar to some of Ms. Zapata’s other male characters. Stoic, kind of surly and very good looking. A true Alpha male. However, in Wait for It, the author uses those traits as a shield for Dallas to protect himself just as much as that wedding ring on his finger. When he finally decides to go all in. that shield expands to protect not only himself, but Diana and the boys. Score two for Ms. Zapata! I love to read about a man protecting his woman, even if its from catty remarks and not gunfire!

I don’t want to give away any more of this story because it is deftly told and even though long, the pivotal moments are intertwined so that I would fear giving one moment away would unravel the mystery of how they fall in love. I will say that their story made me laugh, touched my heart and made me feel. What more do you want in a love story?


Click this link to purchase!  Wait For It

Copyright 2017 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads3 Comments

An Interview with Mary Ann Marlowe author of Some Kind of Wonderful and A Crazy Kind of Love #Giveaway


Mary Ann, thanks so much for letting me read your novel A Crazy Kind of Love. I love how your main characters Jo and Micah are not only fun, charming, and quirky, but they have backgrounds that give them depth and grit. That combination makes it easy to care about them but it also makes me think about those characters long after I finished the book.

ME: A Crazy Kind of Love started off really quick with Jo and Micah’s first meeting. As I read it I thought of how, as a woman, you just relish the “how did you meet your boyfriend/husband” question if you have a great story. Jo and Micah certainly have that when he literally sweeps her off her feet to get that perfect shot. Did you find inspiration for Jo and Micah from your own “how did you meet story”? If so, would you share? If not, was it someone elses?

Mary Ann: That’s a really great question. But no, I’ve never been in quite the same situation Jo and Micah find themselves in at the start of this novel. While I do tend to draw details from my own life to weave into my writing here and there, most of my plot derives from pure wish-fulfillment of an overactive imagination. However, I will confess to some odd meet-cutes, and I have toyed with one as potential fodder for a novel, but none of them ended up in a long-term relationship, so they’d make better fiction than anecdotes.

ME: After reading the first novel Some Kind of Magic and seeing how much Eden, Micah’s sister, wanted a normal life after growing up with her vagabond parents. It was interesting to see that Micah was unfazed and in fact drew inspiration from that same vagabond background. Which character was more fun for you to write? Eden’s straight arrow or Micah’s happy go lucky dreamer?

Mary Ann: You know I have to say I love them both, right? Eden’s the cool girl I could imagine myself being if I were actually cool. I loved putting on her skin and watching her react to all the shocks she had to navigate to find herself, but I think I had more fun with Micah. (I’ve actually written Micah fan fiction with a friend.)

Micah’s so different from me. He’s got such a great optimistic perspective on life, but he’s also a bit of a brat, and that always makes me laugh. I honestly don’t know where he even came from, but from the minute he materialized in Some Kind of Magic, I knew he would be a blast to hang out with.  I hadn’t started out intending to give him his own story, and at first, I wasn’t sure he could even be a serious contender for a romance hero. But when I dove in, he surprised me in so many ways.

ME: I found Jo fascinating! She was of mixed heritage, yet was brought up by her very American single mother. She has a famous, long distance Indian father, who is culturally very different from her. Yet, except for some very understandable daddy issues, she is very well rounded! How difficult or easy was it to write and develop a character who was desperate to learn more about her Indian heritage but also be so secure with who she wants to be? Where did you draw your inspiration for Jo?

Mary Ann: When I started writing Jo, I was thinking a lot about what identity means, or specifically what it means to have an identity that nobody can see unless they know to look. Her main identity is that she’s from Atlanta, so she’s thoroughly American, but she has this buried heritage she can choose to show or hide, and it’s fraught with more significance than anyone will ever understand. I don’t think this is uncommon as we all have deep mines of intersectional identities that may or may not all be visible.

As for inspiration, quite honestly, I do not know. I start writing characters and then let them develop on their own and tell me who they are. I didn’t even realize Jo was diabetic until l’d written several chapters. When she nearly passed out, it came as a total shock to me, and I wasn’t sure what was going on with her. Then I went back to re-read what I’d written, and it was all there in subtle behavioral clues.

ME: Social media played a big part in A Crazy Kind of Love. Jo and Micah connected through Twitter, her fellow papparazzi stalk their celebrities on Twitter in current time so they know where to find them to take their photos. Jo, more than Micah struggles with issues of privacy and boundaries. If Jo and Micah were real people in todays world how would their views of using social media change? Or wouldn’t it?

Mary Ann: I want to say Micah’s views wouldn’t change, but I think they’ve already begun to shift when the crosshairs point to someone he loves. Micah has typical millennial views on privacy, figuring it’s all out there anyway, so why bother hiding? Jo, on the other hand, would have her Facebook page locked down to friends only (how else would she talk to Mom?), and she’d never set foot on Twitter again. With a boyfriend like Micah, I suspect she wouldn’t be spending much time online anyway.

ME: I saw changes in both characters that made them stronger as a couple. Who do you think had to develop and grow more? Why?

Mary Ann: Such a great question. Ideally, they both matured in the course of the book, but as much as Micah needed to grow up and take life more seriously, I think Jo went through the bigger transformation, redefining big concepts like happiness and success. Unlike Micah, Jo had some heavy issues in her history to confront and resolve before she could trust someone as carefree as Micah.

ME: Hopefully, you are writing your next novel. Can you tell us a little bit about your next project? Will it be in this same series?

Mary Ann: The book I’m working on right now isn’t in the same series exactly, but it’s loosely in the same world. It’s called Dating By the Book and was pitched as “An unlucky-in-love author begins corresponding with the book reviewer who criticized the romance in her latest novel and challenges her to find love herself before writing about it.” It’s basically a love letter to books, bookstores, readers, reviewers, and authors. And it’s filled with so many tropes. So very many tropes.

I have drafted another book in the Flirting with Fame series about a behind-the-scenes character you might remember as Pumpkin from the fan forums.  I thought it would be fun to see what would happen if I pulled her out from behind the computer screen and plopped her in the middle of a band she worships. And as usual, it wasn’t what I expected.

Mary Ann, thanks again for stepping away from your writing desk to take a few minutes to answer some questions about Jo and Micah from A Crazy Kind of Love! I really enjoyed your answers!

To purchase Some Kind of Magic click here!  Some Kind of Magic (Flirting with Fame)

To purchase A Crazy Kind of Love click here!  A Crazy Kind of Love (Flirting with Fame)

Mary Ann has provided one signed copy of each of her books, Some Kind of Wonderful and A Crazy Kind of Love! I highly recommend both of these novels. Enter the Giveaway by clicking the link below! US only!

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On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick Read: A Crazy Kind of Love (Flirting With Fame #2) by Mary Ann Marlowe

Jo Wilder is a paparazza with a heart. She has an eye for photography, thanks to her famous photographer father, but her heart just isn’t into getting the big story and hurting the people she’s reporting about. One day, while trying to get that perfect shot of a celebrity and her kids, she is blocked, then charmed by a handsome stranger. That stranger, Micah Sinclair, helps her get the shot by lifting her up on his shoulders, then proceeds to charm her. He does such a great job of disarming her that she doesn’t realize that he is famous himself. As their paths cross again, they start to develop a friendship that leads to romance. One that is strife with pitfalls, because how can Jo keep her emotions in check and still get that big story, or is that really what she wants?

A Crazy Kind of Love is the second novel in the series and I’m happy to say that we get to meet up with Eden and Adam again. Eden is Micah’s sister and has a pretty big part to play in this novel too. It’s not enough that Jo second guesses herself and her relationship with Micah, that struggle being the central conflict in this story, but Eden also has a part to play in Jo’s internal struggle as her conscience. Just as Jo second guesses herself about Micah’s intentions, Eden steps in with some advice or input for Jo that helps her find her way on this kind of insane path. I liked the back and forth that Jo’s emotions go through as Eden tosses a casual verbal grenade down that path to happiness. I also liked the foreshadowing of friendship the two women were developing alongside the romance that was developing between Jo and Micah.

Micah, oh Micah! He  was almost too good to be true. As Jo was going through all of these struggles with her conscience, her health and her heart, Micah was a little harder to read. He kind of reminded me of a male version of Goldie Hawn. You know, beautiful, kind of ditzy and out there, but with moments of insight and wonderfulness. I don’t know Goldie in person but those are the types of characters she plays in the movies and for some reason I kept seeing her when I was reading a scene about him. Maybe it’s my own skepticism about the lead singer in a band falling in love with a professional stalker and not really having any problems with it? Or at least, getting over that initial does she like me for the opportunity or for myself, really fast. BUT, I read romances as an escape, so I too got over that character pitfall pretty quickly. He was just delish, regardless.

As with Some Kind of Wonderful, A Crazy Kind of Love had characters who had real problems, whether they were health related, difficult families, love lives, etc. This is why I like Mary Ann Marlowe’s novels so much. Yes, you get that escape from reality that you want from a love story, but you also see your main characters overcome obstacles that could happen to you. I didn’t have a problem connecting with Jo Wilder and in fact, I loved her for all of her foibles, health and family issues. It made her and Micah’s story that much sweeter. It was nice that love came so easily to them, when they had to overcome life’s obstacles to get there. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❣️

I received a copy of this book from the author for my honest review and it was honest!


C
to purchase!  A Crazy Kind of Love (Flirting with Fame) Copyright 2017 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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This Chick Read: Second Chance Girl (Happily Inc. #2) by Susan Mallery

Happily Inc. is a wedding destination town where most people who live there have something to do with putting on a wedding. Caterer, baker, event coordinator, etc. Carol Lund is a gamekeeper and doesn’t have anything to do with weddings. Matthias, our hero, also doesn’t have a wedding themed job. The only thing he has to do with weddings is, well, the bridesmaids. He is a no strings attached kind of guy.. definitely not Carol’s usual, but for some reason she is attracted to him. Although that’s not a stretch, he is fabulous looking and very charming. Matthias is an artist, making glass creations alongside his brothers in a family business. He wakes up every morning, sips his coffee and sketches while watching Carol walk the preserve with her solitary giraffe, Millie. Something about this morning ritual appeals to him and inspires his creativity.  Their relationship has never gone beyond friendship, until one nigh when they have a little too much to drink.

Luckily, we didn’t see Matthias hit on too many bridesmaids because that would’ve been hard to overlook. The Matthias we meet is fun, charming, and too good looking, but he also has this inner pain about his father that humanizes him. As he and Carols friendship grows, I think that humanity also appeals to Carol. She on the other hand has always focused on her animals, to the exclusion of having a personal life. The fact that she was a khakis and t-shirt kind of gal made her so not Matthias’ type, but that one night changes how they see each other forever.

I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would from the synopsis. The zoo element was a really different setting for a romance! This series is a spinoff of Mallery’s Fools Gold seies that is so poular and I think it is just a good. There is a side romance between Carol’s sister and a visiting Duke that is really cute and made me laugh. All in all this was a great lighthearted romance.


Click this link to purchase.  Second Chance Girl: A Modern Fairy Tale Romance (Happily Inc)

Copyright 2017 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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This Chick Read: Forget Tomorrow (Forget Tomorrow #1) by Pintip Dunn

Forget Tomorrow is set in a world where on your seventeenth birthday you are given one of your future memories. This memory is supposed to give you an idea of what your life will be and what you will do for a living. Callie has been training to be a Chef. Well, they call it something different, but in essence that is what she thinks her memory will show her. If it does, it means she will be put into training for that job and her future is secure. However, there is a very small percentage of people whose memory shows them perpetrating a crime. In that case their lives would be forfeit until that memory is reality and they will be charged for their crime. Yeah, you can see where this one is going, right?

This was a totally original tale and I found myself caught up in this alternate world very easily. Callie was an average teenager and this memory completely blindsided her and freaked her out. She is the last one you’d think would be a criminal and Callie is positive this memory will not come true. She then takes measures to make certain it doesn’t with the help of a boy, Logan, that she has grown up with. Logan used to be a good friend of hers but hasn’t spoken to her in five years after his brother was taken away for exhibiting psychic behavior. Something the authorities in this world want to study and basically jail anyone who shows signs of a psychic gift.

There were a lot of twists and turns in this novel and I definitely don’t want to give any of the surprises away in my review. I will say that the ending took me completely off guard. Iwasn’t entirely   pleased with it, but as this is the first in a series I am going to hold out hope that what happens gets resolved in a future storyline! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase! Forget Tomorrow Copyright 2017 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

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This Chicks Sunday Brunch Book Tag

Good Morning everyone!  I have gotten a little behind on writing my weekly Sunday Commentary. So, I’m sitting in my chair, laptop on my lap, dreaming of a big breakfast (that someone else would cook) and mulling over some books I have recently read when I thought Breakfast… Books… Breakfast…. Books. Wait, those two things go together splendidly! There’s nothing I like better than reading a book while eating breakfast. The next time you find yourself eating one of these meals, try doing it while reading these books or one of your own.

The American Classic- Eggs, Bacon and Toast

eggs-bacon-toastCome Sundown What matches up perfectly with our American Grand Slam breakfast? Come Sundown by Nora Roberts. Bodine Longbow is running the resort side of her family’s business. She is not looking for love but she definitely finds it when Cal Skinner moves back home. Their love story is the perfect silky fried egg that you eat with toast. That piece of crisp bacon is the family drama that sideswipes your emotions taking this novel beyond a normal romance. Perfection is often what you can easily grab out of your refrigerator and make. Yep, that’s Nora Roberts to a tee!

Cinnamon Roll– An oooey, gooey wrapped up bundle of goodness. OMG….

Cinnamon-Rollimage-1 Really any Kristen Ashley novel is a guilty pleasure. It’s like that cinnamon roll that sits on the plate in front of you. You gaze at it longingly knowing that once you start eating it you won’t be able to put it down until you have licked the last bit of frosting off the plate. For me, that’s a Kristen Ashley novel. I stared at The Time In Between on my kindle and waited until I knew I had the time to read it straight through to the finish. It did not disappoint, just as that cinnamon roll never has… I wish I had one of each right now!

The Denver Omelet- with Cheese please!

Denver OMeletimg_1155  Penny Reid has written a wonderfully charming series about the Winston Brothers. These novels are quirky, fun, and have a ton of heart, just like a Denver Omelet. You have a hearty omelet filled with crunchy peppers and onion, and oh those bits of ham provide that bit of decadence and fun. In my world, I always add cheese, because well, cheese makes everything better. In the Winston Brothers world, Cletus is the cheese. If you’ve read these books, you know what I mean…

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes- 

Fluffy-Pumpkin-Pancakes-with-Butter-1img_0746 Who doesn’t love a stack of fluffy, buttery, dripped in syrup pancakes? I love them! This year I discovered the Others series by Anne Bishop. You may wonder how an urban fantasy series matches up with a stack of spicy pumpkin pancakes? Well, just as with this stack, you look at it and see pancakes. Yes, the butter is melting on the top of the stack, and the syrup is dripping off the sides. You think you know what you’re going to get. Then you take that first bite, and pow! The cinnamon and pumpkin flavor hit your taste buds. Surprise! Then you dig in and gobble up that stack. That’s exactly how I felt about this series. I had seen it and thought someday… Then when I actually picked it up and took that first bite? Wow…

The Egg Cup-

egg cupimg_1211-1 The egg cup. Oh so very civil and proper. You tap it with your spoon until you crack through the top and then eat the insides out of the shell. Alexander Rostov, the gentleman in A Gentleman in Moscow is the epitomy of civilized. Even though he is under house arrest in the grand Metropol hotel he is always elegant, cultured and charming. He and this egg in a cup had a lot in common. Smooth veneer, but with a little work you would taste that silky goodness that resides inside. All in a very civilized manner, of course!

This breakfast tag was so much fun to put together!  Warning though, if you choose to take part in this tag you will crave a massive breakfast at the end of it!

I am going to tag a few of my blogger friends. If you don’t feel like partaking, don’t worry about it!  If you do, pls tag me so I can read your breakfast match ups…

Marie @ Drizzle and Hurricane Books

any of the ladies at Thrice Read

James @ This is My Truth Now

Eva@ Novel Deelights

Kristin @ Kristin Kraves Books

Have fun with it!  Until next Sunday, (I’m off to make breakfast now!)

Deb

 

 

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This Chick Read: Warcross (Warcross #1) by Marie Lu

Set in a futuristic world where video games and real life interface, Emika, a seventeen year old bounty hunter, faces a moment of temptation that will change her life forever.  During the Warcross World Championships Emika hacks the game in a way that shows her face to the world and she goes from on the edge of homeless to world famous and a wild card entry into the Championships.

Hideo Tanaka is the child genius who invented glasses that interfaces his Warcross video game with real life. When Emika hacks his game he offers her a job as bounty hunter and gives her entrance into the Championships to work as his spy.

I do not play video games and was worried that I wouldn’t be able to get into this book because of that but I shouldn’t have worried. The world Marie Lu created was vivid, had amazing energy, and painted a 3-D picture for me to visualize and engage with. The games themselves were exciting, the action well written and Emika’s thought process as she deconstructed play exciting. I loved the game!

There was plenty of action to keep this book moving along at a fast pace, and when the action slowed down Emika’s relationship with Hideo painted the page with soft brush strokes. I didn’t know if I liked the fast paced gaming or the slower paced relationship better.

The only negative I had was about the ending to this book. However, I will have to trust that Marie Lu will manage to pull it all together in the next novel.  ❤️❤️❤️❤️❣️

Click this link to purchase!   Warcross Copyright 2017 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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This Chick Read: Chasing Christmas Eve (Heartbreaker Bay #4) by Jill Shalvis

I have been intrigued by Spencer throughout this series and was excited to finally be able to read his story! He has always been somewhat of a mystery. He is a millionaire, owns a businees and invents things, but in the previous novels we’ve only learned as much as those characters story arc’s brought us in contact him, and that was usually as supportive friend and sometimes troublemaker. In Chasing Christmas Eve we finally get the skinny on Spence, his background, how he made his money, and why he seems to be kind of a loner. 

Colbie Albright is new to Heartbreaker Bay and happens upon their charming courtyard fountain and is about to make a wish into it when she gets pushed into it by a wayward dog. Spencer comes to her rescue and is immediately charmed by her and feels that tug of interest. The chemistry between these two is explosive and pretty soon it makes Spencer forget his reasons for holding back from relationships. Colbie, although running away from her problems seems to find her muse, and true love in Spence. 

I love these Heartbreaker Bay novels. I mentioned before that as each story is written and we learn a little bit more about this group of friends, they become our friends. I’m totally invested in living through each of their stories and building that relationship with them even more. 

❤️❤️❤️❤️


Click this link to purchase!  Chasing Christmas Eve: A Heartbreaker Bay Novel

Copyright 2017 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick Read: Balancing the Scales (Brits in Manhattan #1) by Laura Carter

Becky Fletcher is a patisserie chef in a hot Manhattan restaurant when she meets hotshot lawyer Drew Harrington at a bagel cart. He is immediately drawn to her looks and is attracted by that fresh British accent. Becky is a bit standoffish until Drew shows up at her work and starts to charm her with his cocky American humor. She is not interested in a relationship or hookup and despite their attraction and Drew’s busy schedule they agree to be “just friends”.

Of course, laws of attraction, and the rule romance books dictates that their just friends rule, will turn into a friends with benefits situation. As they get to know each other, they come to care for each other and that title of friend starts to not be enough. What Drew doesn’t know, and the reader finds out slowly, is that Becky left some baggage behind in England that she needs to clean up.

Drew and Becky at first glance don’t seem to be the right fit. He’s trying to make partner at his law firm and she works bakers hours. Yet somehow the two of them find a connection that works. I liked Becky’s sweet personality and once I learned her back story admired her for taking a stand and walking away from a bad relationship. Separately they each needed to grow, and together they gave each other the strength and support required to do it. A couple to root for and feel good about!

If you are a fan of Laura Carter’s you may miss the romantic suspense from her other novels, but you won’t be disappointed. This is a sweet love story with heart and a fun Saturday afternoon read. ❤️❤️❤️❣️

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for my honest review and it was honest!
Balancing the Scales

Click this link to purchase! Balancing the Scales (Brits in Manhattan)

Copyright 2017 Deborah Kehoe The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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This Chicks Sunday Commentary: My book review guidelines…

I follow my own set of book review rules. I mean, they aren’t set in stone, but I do try to be consistent with how I write my review, my ratings system, and well, I try to be honorable. I try to respect the amount of work that goes into producing a book. Most of the time.

I thought I’d share my book review process. It’s not set in stone or anything, but this is generally how I craft my review.

  1. READ A BOOK: This one is pretty easy! I have to admit that I don’t stretch my reading boundaries a whole lot. I like Romances, YA, Fantasy, Sci-Fi and a little Mystery, though typically my type of mystery is romantic suspense and not a cop procedural. I do like to watch Law & Order, but I don’t like to read about it. So, I stay in my wheelhouse. I find if I go outside a genre I enjoy, then my rating for the book suffers. It may be a great book! It’s just not a book I usually like to read. So, I don’t.
  2. CHARACTER GROWTH: I am a reviewer that likes to identify and feel something for a character. I talk about the hero, heroine, villain etc. If I don’t see growth from my main characters through the novel the rating suffers. I like to feel a connection and more importantly, I like the characters to connect with each other.
  3. PLOT DEVELOPMENT: This one seems pretty obvious to me, but there must be some sort of conflict that the characters are trying to overcome in order for there to be a resolution and an end to the novel. I’m sure you’d all agree that you hate wasting time on a book that doesn’t go anywhere!  I hate those cliffhanger novels where I have to read 3-5 books just to get to the resolution of the main conflict. AARGGHH!!! Kill me now!
  4. FEELINGS: Humor, passion, anger, pain, hell- even hunger!  Let’s pack that novel full of emotions. Please, please, make me FEEL something. If you can make me laugh, cry, fall in love, then most likely you’ll get at least a three rating from me. If the feelings are not there I probably won’t like the book. Don’t like? Don’t review.
  5. RATINGS: I don’t think I’ve ever given a one star- or heart actually, since I give hearts not stars. However, I have given out a couple of two ratings. I will only give out a two or two and a half rating and review it if I was upset by something in the story line or was sickened by the direction an author has taken and want to make a statement against that plot point. I can think of one off hand where I gave the book a two and a half rating and ranted about the hero in the novel. He was a stalker yet they created a romance out of it. I wanted to ask about why women find that attractive. So I reviewed the book. Normally I would respect the authors efforts and just not review the book.
  6. FUDGING: This is kind of a side note, but do you ever give a book a five rating and then re-read the book and ask why you gave it that rating, when it was really only a four? I’ve done that, I think everyone has! I have some authors that I just love, love, love. Maybe I give them a half point higher than the book deserves because I just love the author that much. I’m in the moment, I’ve finished the book and am in the haze of that world while writing the review. Maybe I should’ve sat on it for a week. Oh well, I’m not going to lose sleep on it, I doubt anyone will fault me for it. Will you?
  7. REQUESTS: I have received a TON of book review requests from independent authors lately. I love that! However, I am one person writing on my blog and only have so much time in a week to read and write. So, unfortunately I have to limit my requests to just an occasional newbie. When I do read a brand new author’s book, I try to read it with the same eye for character development, plot growth and feelings I mentioned above. Every writer is equal in my eyes. (Unless you’re a favorite, HA!) I have read quite a few brand new (to me at least) authors this year and have been pleased to add them to my list of must reads.

I’ve seen a lot of book review bloggers write about trying to read outside their comfort zone, but I have to ask why?  OK, sure, every once in awhile I read a best seller that I normally wouldn’t have picked up. I’ll admit to feeling pretty good about myself for making that effort. However, if I love to read in a certain genre, and I write 3-4 reviews a week, shouldn’t I spend more time reading what I love so my writing will be a reflection of those feelings?

Do you read outside your favorite genres because you are bending to peer pressure?

How do you handle reading your favorite authors novels? Are you fair?

Do you ever make a statement with your review? Should a reviewer make a statement?

What are your book review rules???

I’d love to have a discussion and learn about you!

Until next Sunday,

Deb

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