First Comes Love by Emily Giffin

first comes love

Photo Credit: Goodreads

This book was sent to Traveling With T for review consideration.

First Comes Love

Summary: In this dazzling new novel, Emily Giffin, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Something Borrowed, Where We Belong, and The One & Only introduces a pair of sisters who find themselves at a crossroads.

Growing up, Josie and Meredith Garland shared a loving, if sometimes contentious relationship. Josie was impulsive, spirited, and outgoing; Meredith hardworking, thoughtful, and reserved. When tragedy strikes their family, their different responses to the event splinter their delicate bond.

Fifteen years later, Josie and Meredith are in their late thirties, following very different paths. Josie, a first grade teacher, is single—and this close to swearing off dating for good. What she wants more than the right guy, however, is to become a mother—a feeling that is heightened when her ex-boyfriend’s daughter ends up in her class. Determined to have the future she’s always wanted, Josie decides to take matters into her own hands.

On the outside, Meredith is the model daughter with the perfect life. A successful attorney, she’s married to a wonderful man, and together they’re raising a beautiful four-year-old daughter. Yet lately, Meredith feels dissatisfied and restless, secretly wondering if she chose the life that was expected of her rather than the one she truly desired.

As the anniversary of their tragedy looms and painful secrets from the past begin to surface, Josie and Meredith must not only confront the issues that divide them, but also come to terms with their own choices. In their journey toward understanding and forgiveness, both sisters discover they need each other more than they knew . . . and that in the recipe for true happiness, love always comes first.

Emotionally honest and utterly enthralling, First Comes Love is a story about family, friendship, and the courage to follow your own heart—wherever that may lead. Continue reading

#FuturisticFriday review: Duplicity by Ingrid Thoft

duplicity

Photo Credit: Putnam

This book was sent to Traveling With T for review consideration.

Duplicity

Summary: Gutsy Boston P.I. Fina Ludlow returns with a case that puts her faith to the test in the latest addition to the critically acclaimed series by Ingrid Thoft.
When Ceci Jhavad hires Ludlow and Associates to sue the hip new church that she believes has brainwashed her daughter, Fina Ludlow is assigned to the case. Covenant Rising Church has all the trappings of a less-than-holy organization: a slick young pastor and his comely wife; fancy houses and luxury cars; and devoted congregants who seem eager to part with their money. Fina wonders if Ceci disapproves of Covenant Rising s theology or the pastor s ability to solicit generous donations until prominent church member Nadine Quaynor dies unexpectedly. Fina s investigation requires her to delve into Nadine s life both in and out of Covenant Rising and ask a host of difficult questions. Is the pastor leading his flock astray? Did the church have a hand in Nadine s death or were there less savory elements in her life outside the parish?
The case proves to be a complicated morass of misplaced loyalties and questionable motivations, rivaled only by the current state of the Ludlow family. The return of eldest brother Rand sets in motion an explosive showdown that threatens the very fabric that holds the family together, forcing Fina to confront the true meaning of faith.
Continue reading

#FuturisticFriday review: Everything You Want Me To Be by Mindy Meija

everything-you-want-me-to-be

Photo Credit: Atria Books-Jan 3

This book was sent to Traveling With T for review consideration.

Everything You Want Me To Be

Summary: Full of twists and turns, Everything You Want Me to Be reconstructs a year in the life of a dangerously mesmerizing young woman, during which a small town’s darkest secrets come to the forefront…and she inches closer and closer to her death.

High school senior Hattie Hoffman has spent her whole life playing many parts: the good student, the good daughter, the good citizen. When she’s found brutally stabbed to death on the opening night of her high school play, the tragedy rips through the fabric of her small town community. Local sheriff Del Goodman, a family friend of the Hoffmans, vows to find her killer, but trying to solve her murder yields more questions than answers. It seems that Hattie’s acting talents ran far beyond the stage. Told from three points of view—Del, Hattie, and the new English teacher whose marriage is crumbling—Everything You Want Me to Be weaves the story of Hattie’s last school year and the events that drew her ever closer to her death.

Evocative and razor-sharp, Everything You Want Me to Be challenges you to test the lines between innocence and culpability, identity and deception. Does love lead to self-discovery—or destruction? Continue reading

#FuturisticFriday: Find Your New Reads for January-March 2017

Futuristic Friday Katie

Ya’ll… It’s January and Katie and I are SO excited to tell you about the books we are anticipating over the next 3 months. We’ll be having some giveaways and reminding you to add them these books to your Goodreads TBR list over the next 3 months. So, sit back and enjoy as we bookishly dance our hearts out about these 46 books! Continue reading

Unf*ck Your Habitat by Rachel Hoffman

unfck-your-habitat-by-rachel

Photo Credit: St. Martin’s Press

This book was sent to Traveling With T for review consideration.

Unf*ck Your Habitat

Summary: Finally, a housekeeping and organizational system developed for those of us who’d describe our current living situation as a “f*cking mess” that we’re desperate to fix. Unf*ck Your Habitat is for anyone who has been left behind by traditional aspirational systems: The ones that ignore single people with full-time jobs; people without kids but living with roommates; and people with mental illnesses or physical limitations, and many others. Most organizational books are aimed at traditional homemakers, DIYers, and people who seem to have unimaginable amounts of free time. They assume we all iron our sheets, have linen napkins to match our table runners, and can keep plants alive for longer than a week. Basically, they ignore most of us living here in the real world.

Interspersed with lists and challenges, this practical, no-nonsense advice relies on a 20/10 system (20 minutes of cleaning followed by a 10-minute break; no marathon cleaning allowed) to help you develop lifelong habits. It motivates you to embrace a new lifestyle in manageable sections so you can actually start applying the tactics as you progress. For everyone stuck between The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and Adulting, this philosophy is decidedly more realistic than aspirational, but the goal is the same: not everyone will have a showcase of a home, but whatever your habitat, you deserve one that brings you happiness, not stress. Continue reading

Happy New Year- hello 2017!

Happy New Year

 

Today is the first day of 2017. In my neck of the woods, it’s been a dreary day- foggy at times, grey all day. Some rain. It’s been a day for staying in the house. Watching TV and movies. I started watching some of Season 1 of The Blacklist. I read a good bit of The Sleeping Beauty Killer. I’ve cuddled with my cats. I’ve rested. I’ve took the day for rest for my mind, body and soul. I’ve worn my glasses and had my hair pulled up into a “messy hair, don’t care” bun and my comfy slippers have not left my feet today. Continue reading

The Gift of a Lifetime by Melissa Hill

the-gift-of-a-lifetime

Photo Credit: St. Martin’s Press

This book was sent to Traveling With T for review consideration.

The Gift of a Lifetime

Summary: From the internationally-bestselling author of A Gift from Tiffany’s comes another New York Christmas love story make you fall in love all over again.

Hollywood movies are Beth’s passion. She hopes her life will always be filled with classic movie moments, where magical things happen every day. Her boyfriend Danny has always been the embodiment of her perfect Hollywood hero—though after seven years together the initial silver-screen romance has settled into something more predictable.

Then one morning at work just before Christmas, Beth receives an anonymous gift of a take-out coffee cup with a cryptic message. From there, she is given a series of other gifts and riddles directing her to some of NYC’s most popular landmarks—a treasure trail using unique rom-com-related prompts perfect for a movie-lover like Beth to decipher.

And she is forced to wonder: has Danny realized their relationship needs a boost—or could it be that charming new work colleague Ryan with his intense gaze, flirtatious smile, and almost encyclopedic movie knowledge, wants to sweep her off her feet? How would she feel about taking a chance on a leading man who seems determined to give her the Christmas gift of a lifetime… Continue reading

#FuturisticFriday review: The Marriage Lie by Kimberly Belle

the-marriage-lie

Photo Credit: Mira, 12/27

This book was sent to Traveling With T for review consideration.

The Marriage Lie

Summary: Even the perfect marriage has its dark side… 

Iris and Will’s marriage is as close to perfect as it can be: a large house in a nice Atlanta neighborhood, rewarding careers and the excitement of trying for their first baby. But on the morning Will leaves for a business trip to Orlando, Iris’s happy world comes to an abrupt halt. Another plane headed for Seattle has crashed into a field, killing everyone on board, and according to the airline, Will was one of the passengers on this plane.

Grief-stricken and confused, Iris is convinced it all must be a huge misunderstanding. But as time passes and there is still no sign of Will, she reluctantly accepts that he is gone. Still, Iris needs answers. Why did Will lie about where he was going? What is in Seattle? And what else has he lied about? As Iris sets off on a desperate quest to find out what her husband was keeping from her, the answers she receives will shock her to her very core. Continue reading