Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus More


Thanks to Ann-Marie Nieves of Get Red PR, I am giving away one copy of The Theory of Opposites.

TheorycoverfinaljpgBook Description:

In her anticipated fifth novel THE THEORY OF OPPOSITES, New York Times bestselling author Allison Winn Scotch takes readers on one woman’s trek to cast aside her doubts and start owning her choices.

Willa Chandler-Golden’s father changed the world with his self-help bestseller, Is It Really Your Choice? Why Your Entire Life May Be Out of Your Control. Millions of devoted fans now find solace in his notion that everything happens for a reason. Though Willa isn’t entirely convinced of her father’s theories, she readily admits that the universe has delivered her a solid life: a reliable husband, a fast-paced career. Sure there are hiccups – negative pregnancy tests, embattled siblings – but this is what the universe has brought, and life, if she doesn’t think about it too much, is wonderful.

Then her (evidently not-so-reliable) husband proposes this: A two-month break. Two months to see if they can’t live their lives without each other. And before Willa can sort out destiny and fate and what it all means, she’s axed from her job, her 11 year old nephew Nicky moves in, her ex-boyfriend finds her on Facebook, and her best friend Vanessa lands a gig writing for Dare You!, the hottest new reality TV show. And then Vanessa lures Willa into dares of her own – dares that run counter to her father’s theories of fate, dares that might change everything…but only if Willa is brave enough to stop listening to the universe and instead aim for the stars.

About Allison Winn Scotch:SRTSheadshotfinal

Allison Winn Scotch is the bestselling author of four novels, including TIME OF MY LIFE, THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME, THE ONE THAT I WANT, and THE DEPARTMENT OF LOST AND FOUND. Her fifth novel, THE THEORY OF OPPOSITES, will be released on November 12, 2013. In addition to fiction, she pens celebrity profiles for a variety of magazines, which justifies her pop culture obsession and occasionally lends to awesome Facebook status updates. She lives in Los Angeles with her family. For more about her and her books, go to allisonwinn.com or follow her on Twitter at @aswinn.

This giveaway is open to the U.S. only and ends on June 11, 2014.  Please use Rafflecopter to enter.

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Thanks to Ann-Marie Nieves of Get Red PR, I’m giving away one copy of The Hollow Ground.

Hollow Ground, TheBook Description:

In Natalie S. Harnett’s stunning debut, THE HOLLOW GROUND, the underground mine fires ravaging Pennsylvania coal country have forced eleven-year-old Brigid Howley and her family to seek refuge with her estranged grandparents, the formidable Gram and the black lung?stricken Gramp. Tragedy is no stranger to the Howleys, a proud Irish-American clan who takes strange pleasure in the “curse” laid upon them generations earlier by a priest who ran afoul of the Molly Maguires.

The weight of this legacy rests heavily on a new generation, when Brigid, already struggling to keep her family together, makes a grisly discovery in a long-abandoned bootleg mine shaft. In the aftermath, decades-old secrets threaten to prove just as dangerous to the Howleys as the burning, hollow ground beneath their feet.

Inspired by real-life events in Centralia and Carbondale, where devastating coal mine fires irrevocably changed the lives of residents, The Hollow Ground is an extraordinary debut with an atmospheric, voice-driven narrative and an indelible sense of place. Lovers of literary fiction will find in Harnett’s young, determined protagonist a character as heartbreakingly captivating as Scout Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird.

About Natalie S. Harnett: Natalie S. Harnett

NATALIE S. HARNETT is an MFA graduate of Columbia. She has been awarded an Edward Albee Fellowship, a Summer Literary Seminars Fellowship, and a Vermont Studio Center Writer’s Grant. She was a finalist for the Mary McCarthy Prize in Fiction judged by Francine Prose. Harnett has been published in The New York Times, The Madison Review and The MacGuffin. She lives on Long Island with her husband and toddler. Visit her website at www.natalieharnett.com.

This giveaway is open to the U.S. Only and ends on June 10, 2014.  Please use Rafflecopter to enter.
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Mountain of LightBook Description:

From the internationally bestselling author of The Twentieth Wife, a novel based on the tumultuous history of a legendary 186-carat diamond and the men and women who possessed it

As empires rose and fell and mighty kings jostled for power, its glittering radiance never dimmed. It is the Mountain of Light;the Kohinoor diamond;and its facets reflect a sweeping story of love, adventure, conquest and betrayal. Its origins are the stuff of myth, but for centuries this spectacular gem changes hands from one ruler to another in India, Persia, and Afghanistan. In 1850, the ancient stone is sent halfway around the world where it will play a pivotal role in the intertwined destinies of a boy-king of India and a young queen of England;a queen who claims the Mountain of Light and India itself for her own burgeoning empire, the most brilliant jewels in her imperial crown.

The Mountain of Light is a magnificent story of loss and recovery, sweeping change and enduring truth, wrapped around the glowing heart of one of the worlds most famous diamonds.

My Thoughts:

First, sorry for the lateness of this review.  Time slipped away from me and now I am trying to catch up.

When offered the ebook for review, I jumped at the chance!  I loved Indu Sundaresan’s The Twentieth Wife!

The Mountain of Light hops around from century to century, so instead of getting into the many characters and period of time, I am just going to give you my opinion.

Some centuries and the character’s within them were captured more fully than ever.  To me, it read more like a book of linked short stories than a novel.  The beginning was glossed over very quickly.  I would just start to get settled in the story and then it jumped. Some parts were more vivid and detailed.  It was the later centuries I that I liked best.

The Kohinoor diamond was really the central character.  Yes, of course it was the plot too.  It was about it’s captivating beauty and worth.  People possessed it and people fought over it.

I love books with settings in India and The Mountain of Light was worth the read, just for that alone.  It did not disappoint.  I would have like to have gotten to know some of the characters better.  I really like character studies but because The Mountain of Light centered around the jewel, it’s self, it was not character driven enough for me.  However, because of the other assets of the book, I still recommend it, especially for those who love settings in India and other Asian lands close to it.

4/5

I received the ebook for my honest opinion.

About Indu Sundaresan:Indu Sundaresan

Indu Sundaresan was born in India and grew up on Air Force bases all over the country. Her father, a fighter pilot, was also a storyteller—managing to keep his audiences captive and rapt with his flair for drama and timing. He got this from his father, Indu’s grandfather, whose visits were always eagerly awaited. Indu’s love of stories comes from both of them, from hearing their stories based on imagination and rich Hindu mythology, and from her father’s writings.

After an undergraduate degree in economics from India, Indu came to the U.S. for graduate school at the University of Delaware. But all too soon, the storytelling gene beckoned.