The Sea House

Sometimes in searching for the truth behind the legends we have read about we find more than we bargained for. In the debut novel, The Sea House by Elisabeth Gifford, the reader is tossed between the past and the present surrounding those who have made the Sea House, their home. For Ruth and Michael a newly married couple just starting their new lives together, they dream of restoring this old home into a Bed and Breakfast nestled high above the ever present crashing Scottish sea. While they are in the process of removing the old floorboard, they discover a secret that has been buried beneath the house for more than a century. A small wooden box that bears the skeletal remains of what appears to be a child with fused together legs that leads Michael and Ruth to believe they have discovered what could be a mermaid child.

The image and knowledge lodge into Ruth's mind to uncover just who this child was and why was it buried beneath the Sea House. What stories are waiting to be told. It seems that as Ruth is going through the research on the child, she finds herself drawn very much into the parallel life of the child and her own missing family. The only knowledge Ruth has of her own family, is that her mother drowned one night leaving her to spend her childhood years being shuttled from foster home to foster home. Never knowing who her father was, Ruth can identify with the child she has discovered beneath her home. Perhaps in a way, if she can uncover who this child is, she can put to rest the haunting of her own past of not knowing where she came from as well.

What she learns takes her back to 1860 where she learns the Sea House belonged to Reverend Alexander Ferguson, the vicar for the small town in the Hebrides Islands of Scotland. The Reverend believed in the legends of sea people called Selkies, that his family originated from but there is no physical proof that has been discovered to prove the stories as true or simply the legends of the past. So he begins his own search looking for proof among the lives of the people who live among the island. He finds himself faced with his own personal dilemmas when his faithful maid, Moira faces the eviction of her own family under the land they live on owned by Lord Marstone. Since they are unable to make a living on what they can farm there because of the poor soil and harsh terrain, they are forced to buy food from Marstone. When he comes calling upon their payment of debts and they have no way to pay, he forces them to flee aboard a ship and takes what meager possessions of theirs as payment and burns the homes to the ground. 

I received The Sea House by Elisabeth Gifford compliments of St. Martin's Press and Litfuse Publicity as a free copy for my honest review. I did not recieve any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed here are strictly my own. I have to applaud Ms. Gifford on her first novel. This is truly the stuff you would expect to find when you read an exceptional novel. The writing style reflects both the language and dialog of the past and present in Scotland so it feels authentic. The setting and rich details of both the historic past and contemporary present are so well written, you can feel the salt air on your face, and hear the crashing waves on the rocks below the Sea House. It truly draws the reader in for something unexpected much like searching for mermaid legends and instead you find the truth you've been searching for all along. 

The characters are well written and I would have liked to have known a bit more about the history behind Lord Marstone a bit more than I got. Readers should be warned that there is some profanity in this one, but these are based on cultural differences between the literature in the US versus that of the UK as I've been told. It doesn't distract from the story in any way. This was truly had me captivated much like Ruth's character as she began to unravel the smallest details bit by bit. I rate this one a 4 out of 5 stars and look forward to more novels from her in the future. 

For more information about The Sea House, Elisabeth Gifford, or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below. 

The Sea House by Elisabeth Gifford

You can also find Elisabeth Gifford on Facebook to stay up to date with her latest novels. 

To read more reviews on The Sea House please visit Litfuse Publicity's book tour page. 

Don't miss The Sea House, a stunning fiction debut from the UK. Set in a house on the windswept coast of the Outer Hebrides, Elisabeth Gifford's haunting tale effortlessly bridges a gap of more than a century. Adeptly interweaving two tales involving residents of the titular house, Gifford sets up an absorbing mystery revolving around local lore and myths about mermaids, selkies, and sealmen. Stretching seamlessly back and forth through time, layers upon layers of secrets are slowly and effectively peeled away in this evocative debut (Booklist).

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Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on October 19th. Winner will be announced October 20th at Elisabeth's Blog.

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On The Rocks

After dating her boyfriend Ben from college for the last few years, Abby Wilkes is making preparations for her wedding. Armed with her best friend Grace, she's spent the day trying on wedding dresses looking for just the right one. She has found it in a $4,000 Vera Wang gown, only she wasn't prepared for what would hit her out of left field. As Grace was perusing Facebook, she watched as Ben's status update went from Engaged to Single in just minutes as the same time, Abby's phone began a flurry of incoming text messages. I mean how could the love of your life, break up with you without telling you, but had no problem telling Facebook?

In Erin Duffy's latest novel, On The Rocks, the premise is set for what happens when Abby is confronted with her engagement being called off on Facebook. How does one get over that? How do you keep from not picking up a weapon of some sort and taking out your frustrations on the one person who truly deserves it?

"After I saw Ben's Facebook post changing his status to single and telling everyone he had ever met in his life (except me) that we were over, I did what any red-blooded American girl who had been trying on wedding dresses for impending nuptials would have done: I went directly to his apartment and tried to break down the door with my fists. When that didn't work, I walked halfway down the hallway, and took off in a full sprint, and charged the door with my shoulder like they do on TV cop shows, but since I'm only five-two and weighed 110 pounds at the time, all I managed to do was bruise my shoulder so badly I couldn't raise my arm above my head for six weeks. I probably could've tried ringing the doorbell like a normal person, which would have alerted me to the fact he wasn't home, but adrenaline and shock will make a girl do really stupid things."

It's nice to know that I am not crazy after reading On The Rocks and realizing I, too, have probably done or thought about the things Abby has. I couldn't imagine what I would do if after that much time invested in someone didn't work out and found myself on the dating scene single one again. Wait, I actually can because after 10 years of being with someone and learning he had cheated, I found myself doing just that at 31, just like Abby. Erin truly writers from a girl's heart although I would have loved to see this story written without all the profanity that Abby and Grace use in this novel. The storyline however can't be missed. It is why I can still give this novel a 4 out of 5 stars based on my own rating system.

Abby must find a way to get over stocking her freezer with quite literally all Baskin Robbin's 31 flavors of ice cream and learn to stop sending pointless text messages to Ben. Her best option is to take Grace's suggestion to spend the summer at a beach house, and learn to find a way to move forward without adding pounds to the equation. If you have ever experienced a bad breakup before, this is the perfect novel for you! I absolutely LOVE it and most of all LOVE Erin's writing style. It's legitimate, honest and real just like things are without the happily ever after ending. This is simply one of the best novels I can recommend for a summer reading list.

I received On The Rocks by Erin Duffy compliments of William Morrow, a division of Harper Collins Publishers for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed are strictly my own. This is the second novel from Erin Duffy and is available for sale in April  2014. (ISBN: 9780062205742; ISBN10: 0062205749; Imprint: William Morrow ; On Sale: 4/22/2014; Format: Hardcover; Trimsize: 6 x 9 Rough; Pages: 320; $25.99;)

For more information about On The Rocks, Erin Duffy or where you can preorder a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

On the Rocks by Erin Duffy

You can also find Erin Duffy on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on On The Rocks, please visit William Morrow's website. 

The Sweetest Thing

Jennie Copeland has agreed to completely swear off men forever following the divorce of her husband David eighteen months ago, after learning he was in love with someone he worked with who was much younger than she was. Now Jennie has opted to move to the quiet country away from the city that once consumed her and her three children, even if it means leaving all traces of their former life behind as well as friends and family. Moving to a small four acre farm in Devon, she has found the inspiration to begin her own small business of baking cakes and sweet treats. Only her kids aren't the least bit convinced the country life is for them.

For her oldest son Adam, the internet speed is more along the lines of snail mail, her precocious daughter Georgia, who is more like Jennie than she could imagine, is the only one who is convinced this is a great idea, followed on the heels of Sophie the youngest who can't imagine living in a disgusting old farm house inundated by cows. Yet despite all their misgivings the Copeland family buckles down and attempts to give it a go if only Jennie can convince herself this is a good decision. Her former ex believes that she has truly bitten off more than she can chew and her neighbor gives her more than just a great view to look at. He is the one who sold her his former farm house, while maintaining a home on the existing 150 acres of land for milking cows.

Will Jennie's vow to swear off men for good last as well as she thought or does love hold a second chance in it's grip for both Jennie and Guy Barnes, who have both been left with heart ache in their past lives? Only time will tell what kind of story plots, author Cathy Woodman has in store in her latest novel, The Sweetest Thing. I received The Sweetest Thing by Cathy Woodman compliments of Arrow Books and TLC Book Tours for my honest review and did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable one. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own and once again I am delighted to be taken back to Devon for a different look at the country life I had discovered when I read Country Loving, one her many books in the Talyton St George Series of novels she has written. Her writing style once again has managed to transport me to Devon and to the sights, sounds and warmth of the people who interact with both Jennie and Guy. From learning what it takes to raise chickens and get them to lay eggs to how milk gets from cows to cartons. Along the way love begins to take root and you find yourself hoping they will realize their feelings before you get to the end. I won't spoil it but you'll definitely want this one! I personally rate this one a 5 out of 5 stars!

For more information about The Sweetest Thing, Cathy Woodman or where to pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

The Sweetest Thing by Cathy Woodman

You can also find Cathy Woodman on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on The Sweetest Thing from the TLC Book Tours, please click here. 

• Series: Talyton St George (Book 3)
• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Arrow (May 9, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0099551632
• ISBN-13: 978-0099551638
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 7.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces

   

The Repeat Year

What would you do if you woke up tomorrow morning and found out it was exactly a year prior right down to the day? Everything you did one year ago was the beginning point for where you found yourself today. What would you do if you had the opportunity to relive that year again?

That is just the premise for the latest novel, The Repeat Year by author Andrea Lochen. Not only does Olive Watson wake up on New Year's Day in 2011 with a new beginning but it really is a new opportunity. She finds herself suddenly right back where she was a year ago. Back with her now ex-boyfriend Phil. The very same Phil that broke up with her ten months ago. She's not exactly sure what happened, but all she knows is that she is suddenly provided with an opportunity to fix some mistakes in her life that happened a year ago. Is it possible to move forward with the knowledge of having already lived those mistakes and not yet feel a sense of remorse for having that knowledge to help you with making different choices. It's not exactly like you can leave those feelings behind just because you have a chance to make things right in the lives of the people you dealt with that previous year. Is there even a point to having this happen?

I received The Repeat Year by Andrea Lochen compliments of Penguin Publishers and Book Sparks Tours for my honest review and received no monetary compensation for a favorable one. This is like an expanded version of Groundhog Day only it takes some unexpected twists and turns when you have 365 days to do over again. Unlike Groundhog Day where the concept was the same day over and over again, Olive has a year to find the one thing that has brought her back to doing the year over again with no clue as to what that is. Is it the opportunity to stay living with her roommate Kerrigan instead of moving out, is it a chance to fall in love with her ex-boyfriend Phil and possibly get married, or rekindle some family relationships that she burned in the first go around, or is it something she never considered about how her interactions with someone needed a second chance? Maybe repeat years aren't just redoes for quick fixes, but they're last chances.

Based on my personal review criteria I have to rate this one a 4 out of 5 stars. Not for the storyline but based on the profanity contained in the beginning of the book that readers might find offensive. However, the story is amazing. I found myself wondering what I would do if faced with the same challenges that Olive did. What if what I thought needed changing wasn't the reason I had the opportunity to redo that year again and I had to repeat it again until I did? This is definitely a unique concept and I found I could relate to a lot of decisions that Olive makes. It makes you see the people you often take for granted in your life and when given the chance to revisit them again, you realize what a gift a repeat year could be. This book makes for a perfect addition to your summer reading list and I'd love to see this one brought to the big screen some day.

For more information about the Repeat Year, Andrea Lochen, or where to pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

The Repeat Year by Andrea Lochen

You can also follow Andrea Lochen on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.