Yvonne
I have two new additions to my shelf this time, one an author request, the other a publisher enquiry, with both requests being fulfilled by the lovely NetGalley team. Two more diverse storylines I couldn’t have wished for, so I can ring the changes in my reading, as my mood dictates!
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To start off – I received this enquiry from author, Stewart Lewis. His latest book is released July 28th 2020 by Lake Union Publishing
HAPPILY WHATEVER AFTER
A dark comedy about putting yourself in unexpected places, reaching for your dreams, and believing in second chances.
Thirtysomething Page was content with her life in New York City—until it went to the dogs. Unceremoniously dumped by her boyfriend of four years and fired from her art gallery job in the same week, she flees to Washington, DC, and moves in with her big brother. She hopes the new setting and familial comfort will help her finally find her bearings. What Page finds instead is an unlikely refuge: a park for the neighborhood’s poshest pooches, and a quirky pack of companionable dog-run regulars who become fast friends.
Both four-legged and two-, these new allies offer Page a world of possibilities. The woman who hit rock bottom now has dreams: of having her own business, getting her own place, and even wilder ones about the ruggedly handsome owner of a vineyard and two equally fetching Bernese mountain dogs.
Unleashed from all that once held her back, Page finds everything might be falling into place. But just when she thinks her life is headed in the right direction, the road takes a sharp turn to show her just how unpredictable second chances can be. Will Page get her happily ever after? Is there even such a thing?
Witty, smartly funny, and modernly romantic, Happily Whatever After shows us all that sometimes imperfect can still be good enough.
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STEWART LEWIS
Stewart Lewis is a six-time published author and singer-songwriter who is based out of Nashville, TN and Nantucket, MA.
His novels have been translated into five languages and his songs have been used in TV and film worldwide.
Stewart’s essays have also appeared in several anthologies.
His favourite things are, his french bulldog Oliver, travelling, good food and good friends.
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Next – A welcome email from Ellie at Harper Collins means that having read book #2, I now shan’t miss out on book #3 in the excellent ‘DS Josie Masters’ series.
WATCH OVER YOU – (DS Josie Masters – Book #3)
The hunt is on. And this time, it’s personal…
DS Josie Masters is called out to a house in North Oxford to investigate a serious incident – an apparent burglary turned violent. But things take a personal turn when she walks through the door and discovers the body is that of her former friend and mentor, Harry Ferman.
He’d lived alone, though possessions found in his spare bedroom indicate that he’s had a lodger staying – a young woman who seems to have fled the scene.
Soon, though, further vengeful killings rock Oxford, and evidence mounts that the picture is not as simple as it first appeared.
The girl is on the run, and someone is following her – leaving a stack of bodies in their wake…
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M.J.FORD
Michael (M.J.) Ford lives in the north of England with his wife, two young children and two dogs.
He studied English and Classics at Oxford University before working in publishing for many years.
He loves thrillers, historical and fantasy titles.
He writes for both adults and children.
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Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share links to the books that came into their house during the last week. This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well, after all you never know where that next “must read” book will come from.
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Both your books look good. I just read a rom-com recently and it was just what I needed to make me smile and laugh out loud.
Hi Laura,
As you so rightly say, anything that can make us smile these days, is a welcome relief.
Actually, it hasn’t been too bad for us, as we are on our own and don’t have any children or grandchildren to worry about. In fact I am more worried by the stupidity of people now that lockdown has been eased!
I would like to have thought that something so terrible happening, would have changed people’s perspectives about attitudes and acceptable behaviour and perhaps made us just that little bit more considerate – but even at this early stage, I can tell that was a forlorn hope!
So, a good dose of laughter is what we all need!
Thanks for taking the time to stop by and I hope that your reading week is shaping up well 🙂
Oh, both of these sound fabulous, especially Happily Whatever After. I’ve seen that somewhere else lately, too. Hope you enjoy your books.
Hi! Cheryl,
Obviously everyone is looking for a reason to be cheerful this week and author Stewart Lewis is helping to spread the happiness with ‘Happily Whatever After’.
As the book isn’t actually publishing until July, there have already been a good number of advance reviews and ratings, so Stewart is obviously doing well to get the word out there!
Have a good week and thanks for taking the time to comment 🙂
Two more good looking books for you. I am curious about the dark comedy. 🙂
Hope you enjoy them both!
Hi Martha,
It looks as though everyone is craving a little light relief this week and although I am looking forward to reading ‘Happily Whatever After’, especially as it has the important message that ‘imperfect can still be good enough’, I also can’t wait to read the next instalment in the DS Josie Masters series.
They arrived on my desk within half an hour of each other on the same day, so which to read first? 🙂
Have a good week 🙂
I really love the sound of Happily Whatever After. I don’t know what’s happened to me lately but I’m starting to really enjoy this type of book. Not out until July you say, I shall try to remember that.
Hi Cath,
What’s happened to all my thriller reading buddies this week?!
Everyone usually gets pretty excited when I have a new crime story to share!
Are we really all that depressed and in need of some light-hearted relief?
If you belong to Kindle unlimited this title is free to read, or you can pre-order on Kindle for £2.99
Alternatively, if you have signed up with NetGalley, the book is currently on a ‘Read Now’, which means that you don’t need to request it.
Thanks for visiting, I appreciate the comment 🙂
I think both your books sound good so I hope you enjoy them, Yvonne!
Hello! Mary,
A couple of really diverse choices this week, both of which I am looking forward to reading. My husband keeps trying to persuade me that my blog might have more appeal if I were to specialise in one genre of books, however my reading brain just doesn’t function that way – ‘variety is the spice of life…’ and all that 🙂
Great to have you stop by and have a good week!
Of course the thriller sounds good to me, Yvonne, even if it IS the third in a series! 😉 Surprisingly, the other book also appeals to me, despite being a romance set in an area I can’t relate to at all. I think it’s the description of it as a “dark comedy”. I bet it’s one you’ll read quickly.
You might be amused by a term I saw someone use in the comments of another blog. “Covidiot” I’m sure it wasn’t original, but I think it’s a great description of those who are acting recklessly or stupidly during all this Covid mess.
Hi Kelly,
Congratulations! On being my thriller soul mate today! I have read the previous 2 books in the series and reviewed book #2 just last September, having thoroughly enjoyed them. They do work okay as stand alone stories, but I know how you regard your series reading!
I’m not usually up for volunteering myself to review contemporary romances, however I too, quite like the sound of ‘Happily Whatever After’. I was also intrigued by author Stewart Lewis’s resume and to be honest, I liked the way he requested the review!
I think we Brits are probably topping the polls right now for ‘Covidiots’, but the ‘proof of the pudding is in the eating’, as they say, so we’ll wait and see if there is another spike in a couple of weeks time!
I am a little dismayed though, that we are about the only country who hasn’t thought it prudent to open up the hairdressers as one of the first places. I for one and I am sure many others in general, would be so much more compliant, if we had the opportunity to look and feel a little better about ourselves and our appearance.
We have only left the house four times in the entire 3 months of lockdown and I have no real urge to go very far I can assure you.
Thanks for being my crime accomplice and stay safe 🙂
Happily Whatever After sounds like it would be fun and romantic. It sounds like a good distraction with everything that is going on.
I hope you have a great week, and happy reading!
Hi Kay!
From the responses I have had to this post, it sounds as though people are just about getting to the end of their tethers with everything that’s going on all around the world right now. Everyone is looking for something fun and frivolous, to distract them!
Mind you, any book can distract me from just about anything, so long as I have the time to immerse myself fully in the storyline.
Thanks for visiting and taking the time to comment and I hope that you have plenty of ‘distractions’ to keep you occupied this week 🙂
Two very different genres but they both sound like books I would enjoy.
Hi Veronica,
I have very eclectic reading tastes and there isn’t much I won’t read, with the possible exception of sci-fi and fantasy, although even then, I have read and enjoyed one or two excellent fantasy stories over the years.
I often don’t have to be in any particular mood to choose a genre, as I am generally so tied up with book promotion spots that I need to read whatever is next on the pile!
It’s hard life being a reader, isn’t it? 🙂 🙂
Two totally different-sounding books, but both look good, Yvonne.
You know WATCH OVER YOU would be my first choice, though. 🙂
Have a great week!!
Hi Elizabeth,
It seems like ages since we last spoke, so I hope that all is well with you! 🙂
Whilst ‘Watch Over You’ is book #3 in a series, the stories do work okay as stand alones and they are set in the lovely City of Oxford, which can never be mentioned without me thinking of the late, great ‘Morse’ series of books and TV adaptations.
Thanks for stopping by and Happy Reading 🙂
Two different books, both of which sound interesting!
I’m currently reading Londonopolis: A Curious and Quirky History of London by Martin Latham.
Hi Nikki,
Every book has its owns story to tell and unless the writing is really bad, I generally will read just about anything and give up on nothing!
I am however, a little biased towards a good crime thriller and there are some really excellent fictional detectives out there right now. We could really do with one of them being optioned for a television series, as we are seriously lacking in that genre of drama right now.
I love browsing those quirky books, full of random facts and tidbits of information. Where we have our trails around local towns and cities, we have collected quite a few of this style of book over the years. They always come in handy for that extra added fun!
Thanks for stopping by and I hope that all is well with you 🙂