Archive for May 26th, 2009

Book News: Queen Takes King by Gigi Levangie Grazer

Posted By Leah on May 26th, 2009

gigilevangiequeentakeskingGigi Levangie Grazer’s 4th novel, Queen Takes King, is released on June 19th and sounds a very good read:

Jackson Power. A name like the man himself: aggressive, ambitious, bullish. The prodigal son, heir to millions, built his own Manhattan real estate empire and revels in seeing his moniker — Power! — on glittering skyscrapers around the city that never sleeps. Beneath his desk in the towering Power headquarters, Jacks has a stack of newspapers and photographs of himself, shaking hands with the most famous men and women of his generation. Here’s a man who’s always loved to see his name in ink. Until now.

Cynthia Hunsaker Power. She is the epitome of elegance and society. The perfect foil for a man of Jacks’s stature — his first and only wife, he’d proudly tell any of his Master of the Universe (read: Gargoyle) friends. The former prima ballerina arrived in New York at eighteen, off the bus from Missouri, brimming with talent, beauty, and drive. She met a struggling painter, fell in love, and only later learned she’d won the Power lottery. Now she sits on the New York Ballet Theater board, effortlessly outdoing herself with one gala after another. But the press coverage of the Power silver anniversary party at the Waldorf takes the cake.

Jacks Power appears twice in the New York Post the next morning — once gallantly dancing with his wife of twenty-five years, Cynthia; and once hand in hand with Lara Sizemore, morning television star, exiting her Upper West Side apartment building that very same night.

To Jackson Power, Lara is ever ything his wife Cynthia is not — wild, voluptuous, mysterious, and selfsustaining. A new passion has swept Jacks off his well-shod feet — and she is Lara Sizemore. He is ready for the divorce, ready to marry his mistress, America’s Sweetheart. But Cynthia isn’t ready to be swept out of the picture quite so easily.

Let the Divorce Games begin.

Whether they’re changing the locks on each other in their Park Avenue triplex or sabotaging each other’s dinner parties, it’s The People’s Billionaire vs. The Ballerina, in a split-up that will trump the most scandalous divorces known to polite New York society. Cynthia’s got their twenty-five-year-old artist daughter, Vivienne, in her camp; Jacks has the young bartending playwright Adrian, whom he intends to pay to seduce Cynthia into an easy split. But Cynthia might have a few tricks up her well-tailored Chanel sleeve, and she — like Jacks — is prepared to use every weapon in her divorce arsenal to win the game. It’s a battle of wits, of charm, of two of the biggest egos — and personalities and bank accounts — in Manhattan, and neither side will go down without a fight.

Book News: Patricia Scanlan, Erica James and more

Posted By Chloe on May 26th, 2009

A few of my favourite authors have new books listed on Amazon, and of course I have to share them here with you! None of them have covers yet as most releases are for next year, but the titles are there, and a couple of synopsis’ too.

First up is Patricia Scanlan whose latest novel “Coming Home” is due out on 22nd October 2009. I have recently read my first Patricia Scanlan book and loved it, and this sounds like a brilliant read as well. Here’s the synopsis:
Kristy Dunwoody, a now jobless ex-banking high flier, is moving from her expensive uptown apartment in New York to a fourth-floor walk-up studio on the wrong side of town and she’s vowing not to tell her family of her reduced circumstances when she returns home for her mother’s surprise 70th birthday.

Olivia Morgan, harassed wife and mother of three, put upon daughter and sister-in-law, is trying to organize her mother’s party, do her Christmas shopping and clear out the guest room for Kristy’s homecoming. Esther Dunwoody is dreading her birthday. She hopes there won’t be a fuss. She’d much rather get on with making the Christmas puddings and look forward to decorating the tree with her precious grandchildren. Little does she know there’s a big celebration in store …and there will certainly be surprises.”

Judy Astley is back with her 16th novel in July called Wearing Thin. No synopsis that I have been able to find yet, but Judy always writes an excellent story, and this is bound to be a brilliant summer read. Look out for it in the shops from 16th July.

Irish author Sharon Owens is back with her next book entitled “Seven Secrets of Happiness” through Poolbeg Press on 27th August. No synopsis is up yet, but we will update you when we can about that.$

Erica James, whose book “It’s The Little Things” was a great read and one I highly recommend (review coming soon!) has her next up on Amazon already. It’s due to be released on 18th February 2010 and is going to be called The Queen of New Beginnings. An intriguing title, but again there is no synopsis yet.

Anita Notaro is back with her next book No Ordinary Love on 7th October 2010, so there’s a bit of a wait for that one. However, if its as good as “Take A Look At Me Now”, her last book, it will be worth the wait!

I’ll post the synopsis’ when they become available, but I hope that was enough to whet your appetite for now!

Book Review: The Fidelity Files by Jessica Brody

Posted By Chloe on May 26th, 2009

** Read our exclusive interview with Jessica Brody here **

fidelityfilesjessicabrodyJennifer Hunter has a somewhat unusual job, one that she keeps hidden even from her family and friends. Jennifer works under the code name of “Ashlyn”, a Fidelity Inspector, and a pretty good one at that.

Jennifer basically receives a call from a suspicious wife, and then tests her husband to see if he has an intention to cheat. But this lifestyle is taking its toll on Jen, and her friends are concerned that she’s still single.

When she meets Jamie Richards after one of her trips, she begins to wonder about retiring and settling down, but there is one last surprising assignment Ashlyn has to complete.

(more…)

Book News: How to Break Your Own Heart by Maggie Alderson

Posted By Chloe on May 26th, 2009

With another excellent Summer Read choice, British author Maggie Alderson is back with her 5th novel called How To Break Your Own Heart. It’s set for release through Penguin on 2nd July and looks like a great read. Here’s the synopsis:

“‘Do you always sleep in separate beds?’

A question from her outspoken friend Kiki shocks Amelia Bradlow into taking stock of her ‘perfect’ life. She might have the adoring husband, the flat in Mayfair and the weekend cottage, but what about the things that really matter? Like the unmentionable matter of the baby they haven’t had . . .

Just when she is most confused, up pops gorgeous Joseph Renwick - the first boy she ever kissed - back in town and dangerously single.

Struggling to put thoughts of him aside, Amelia makes some big changes. A reinvigorated career and a style makeover turn her into a new woman - but husband Ed preferred the old one.

So with her internal clock ticking ever louder, Amelia has to decide whether to stay in her nearly happy marriage, or take a gamble on going solo. Is it better to break your own heart than to settle for second best?”

If you like the sound of it, look out for in the shops from July 2009, and you can find out more about Maggie at her website: http://maggiealderson.com/