The Tulip Eaters

It’s Literary Friday! Talk of Gone Girl is buzzing about today (more on that later!)

1. Deep South Magazine and their #literaryfriday: Karen White and Return to Tradd Street news, Gone Girl made the list for 16 books being made to movies to see, Wiley Cash’s latest, A Dark Road To Mercy is a mover and shaker (don’t forget to join in Twitter chat Jan 31’st hosted by Deep South Mag!) and so much more!

2. Always With A Book got to meet Sue Monk Kidd this week- read on for her exciting tale!

3. Giveaways, giveaways, giveaways! Always With A Book is giving away Wendy Wax’s While We Were Watching Downton Abbey (ends TODAY) AND Eggs in a Casket by Laura Childs. Traveling With T (that’s me!) is giving away an e-copy of Wild Ones by Kristine Wylyys and The Tulip Eaters by Antoinette V Heugten.

4. So, back to the Gone Girl thing. The news on the internet today is that Gillian Flynn re-wrote the ending for the movie version of Gone Girl. Say what?! What are your thoughts on this news? Here’s mine: We prob should have seen this coming. It’s really not that surprising- I mean, don’t get me wrong- I wish THE ENDING would be the ending in the movie. But, it’s not going to stop me from watching the movie. I say pass the popcorn and hand me my large strawberry drink while I enjoy Gone Girl on the big screen!

5. Bloggers Made of AWESOME is back this week with Krysta from Pages Unbound! Read about her #literaryconfession!

6. I reviewed River Road by Jayne Ann Krentz this week- the right amount of suspense and romance for me!

7. What are your 2014 reading goals? Here is some of mine!

8. Don’t forget: Twitter chat with Jennie Shortridge 1/15! Use #srbkchat to join in the fun- it begins at 8pmEST and there will be 3 copies of LOVE WATER MEMORY given away!

9. You know, I said that Traveling With T had some good news- well, I just posted a new button in my sidebar- I’m a Harlequin V.I.B (Very Important Blogger). Which means that Traveling With T will be having access to more great giveaways (which is great for you!)

10. What are you #fridayreads? I just finished my ARC of Murder With Ganache by Lucy Burdette (loved it!) and will be starting The Goldfinch soon.

Photo Credit: Goodreads

This book was sent to Traveling With T in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Tulip Eaters

It’s a regular day for Nora. Work and then going home to see her mother and her sweet baby, Rose. Until Nora gets home to the worst nightmare she’s ever experienced. Her mother, shot in the head. And a strange man, dead. Both of those incidents are alarming enough- but even more- where is the baby? Did someone kidnap the baby while her mother was being killed? Are the 2 incidents connected?

Nora, frantic with worry about her baby, only knows that she must find her child. Her life is not worth living if she cannot find her child. As Nora is packing some things of her mother’s away- she finds a metal box. And the box changes everything that Nora knows about her parents. Nora finds out a deep secret- a secret that she never wanted to know. Slowly, Nora begins to realize that the murder of her mother and the kidnapping of her daughter are linked- and have to do with the past, with a life before Nora.

Nora boards a plane to Amsterdam, to find answers to the questions she found in Houston, TX in a metal box. To find out if her parents were what the secrets in the box suggest. Once in Amsterdam- Nora finds out that there are people there- people in high places- who will go to incredible lengths to keep Nora from her daughter- all in part of a payback for the acts Nora’s parents committed against them. Can Nora find out what happened in Amsterdam years ago? Can Nora find her daughter? And will Nora’s former lover, Nico, help her or break her heart again?

Secrets, lies, and betrayal- Amsterdam is filled with those 3 things. Nora must solve the mystery to find out why her daughter was kidnapped, to even have a chance of finding Rose.

Traveling With T’s Thoughts

This is my first Antoinette V. Heugten book and I enjoyed this story. The reader knows pretty quickly why Nora’s mother was murdered- what her secret is. But, as the reader joins Nora- the reader finds that while some fairly key information was revealed in the first 100+ pages- not all was revealed- and that’s why you keep turning the pages.

There are a few twists- some are slightly predictable, some are not. There are a few things about this book that the reader can nitpick- timing of some scenes- but for the most part- enjoyable.

Some of the characters are not as well-drawn out as the others or perhaps the characters that are more memorable to me had evil personalities which added an extra layer.

This story has themes of betrayal, secrets and lies- but wove throughout is a theme of forgiveness. Forgiveness and understanding for yourself, for others.

*This book was sent to Traveling With T from a publicist in exchange for a fair and honest review. Above thoughts and opinions are mine alone.

Giveaway details:

Check the Rafflecopter Link for 1 copy of The Tulip Eaters (US only!) Giveaway runs from 1-8/1-14.

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