Publisher: Moonshine Cove Press (February 1, 2015)
Category: Contemporary Fiction/ Women’s Fiction/ Southern Fiction
Tour Date: April-May, 2015
Available in: Print & ebook, 285 Pages
With murder in common friendship is inevitable:
As fifteen year old Pleasant Day struggles with her mother’s distance, her father’s infidelity and the death of her best friend, she draws closer to Clarissa, an older woman with the secrets to heal her. But Clarissa has struggles of her own as she faces betrayal and seeks to come to terms with old wounds. With her unpredictable but psychic ability to ‘read people’ Clarissa uncovers the answers to a deadly crime and to Pleasant’s true identity. In the end, both Pleasant and Clarissa’s worlds are transformed by the truths they’re forced to accept.
My Thoughts on Pleasant Day by Vera Jane Cook:
Pleasant Day is a 15 year old who find s out from a friend that a girl in the neighbourhood was found dead. To top it off, her body was hidden in a very peculiar way. So peculiar that Pleasant didn’t believe it at first. This is just how the book opens, just wait until you read more.
Sorry, I don’t want to risk spoilers but lets just say their are secrets that come out along the way, that change Pleasant’s world forever.
This is the fourth book I have read by Vera Jane Cook and this is certainly the most suspenseful. It is written in the same no holds barred approach the Cook uses in all her books. Which is one of the many reasons I keep reading her work. Every book she writes is unique, raw, and emotional. Her characters are quirky and original. The southern back drop also adds to her novels.
If you enjoy books with a southern setting that are fresh and original, you need go no further than Vera Jane Cook. You are in for a treat! I highly recommend ‘Pleasant Day’! It is a real page turner with plenty of twists!
5/5
I received the ebook version for my honest review.
I Also recommend the following books by Vera Jane Cook:
The Story of Sassy Sweetwater
Where the Wildflowers Grow
Dancing Backward in Paradise
About Vera Jane Cook:
Winner: Eric Hoffer Award for publishing
excellence and the Indie Excellence Award for
notable new fiction!
5 Star Clarion ForeWord Review!
Vera Jane Cook, writer of Award Winning Women’s Fiction, is the author of The Story of Sassy Sweetwater, Lies a River Deep, Where the Wildflowers Grow, Dancing Backward in Paradise and Annabel Horton, Lost Witch of Salem.
Jane, as she is known to family and friends, was born in New York City and grew up amid the eccentricity of her southern and glamorous mother on the Upper West and Upper East Side of Manhattan.
An only child, Jane turned to reading novels at an early age and was deeply influenced by an eclectic group of authors. Some of her favorite authors today are Nelson DeMille, Calib Carr, Wally Lamb, Anne Rice, Sue Monk Kidd, Anita Shreve, Jodi Picoult, Alice Walker and Toni Morrison. Her favorite novels are too long to list but include The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, Cheri and The Last of Cheri, The Picture of Dorian Grey, Wuthering Heights, Look at Me, Dogs of Babel, The Bluest Eye, The Art of Racing in the Rain, Body Surfing, Lolita, The Brothers Karamazov, She’s Come Undone, Tale of Two Cities, etc., etc., etc.
Vera Jane Cook’s Website: http://www.verajanecook.com/
Vera Jane Cook on Twitter: https://twitter.com/verajanecook
Vera Jane Cook on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vera.j.cook
Buy ‘Pleasant Day’ by Vera Jane Cook:
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Follow the Tour:
Teddy Rose Book Reviews Apr 7 Spotlight & Giveaway
Bound 4 Escape Apr 8 Review
Confessions Of A Reader Apr 9 Interview
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Mythical Books Apr 14 Interview
Room With Books Apr 15 Review & Giveaway
Winter Reads Apr 17 Interview & Giveaway
Elizabeth McKenna Romance Author Apr 20 Excerpt
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Teddy Rose Book Reviews Apr 24 Review
From Isi Apr 27 Review
Writer In Progress Apr 28 Review & Giveaway
Sapphyria’s Book Reviews Apr 29 Excerpt
The Book Diva’s Reads Apr 30 Review & Excerpt
Suko’s Notebook May 5 Review
Deal Sharing Aunt May 6 Review & Giveaway
Lightning Chronicles May 12 Review, Interview & Giveaway
Indie Review Behind the Scenes May 14 live I 6 pm cst
Melina’s Book Blog May 18 Review & Giveaway
Cassandra M’s Place May 21 Review & Giveaway
Jersey Girl Book Reviews May 22 Review & Excerpt
The Mama Games May 25 Review
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Pinky’s Favorite Reads May 27 I & G
Bassgiraffe’s Thoughts May 28 Review
[…] Teddy Rose Book Reviews Apr 24 Review […]
Teddy, as I reviewed the impressive list of honors distinguishing this author’s works & the short biography (specifically after I read the first sentence of the bio), I was considering the controversial issues surrounding the genre of women’s fiction (does it marginalize the literary value of fiction about women’s lives? Should it be a genre of its own? What exactly are its parameters? I think the issues raised are compelling and important. Given the substantial coverage of women’s fiction in this blog’s content, I am wondering what your opinions (if any) were on these issues. I would love to know any thoughts of yours on these matters — whether they’re big, small, firmly held beliefs or just initial observations/impressions — if you’re willing to share them. Cheers, Kara S
Thanks for your thought provoking questions Kara. I personally think there is value in any book that raises awareness to issues of civil rights, equal rights, class, race, etc. Also issues of family. I use to be turned off to women’s fiction until I realized that women’s fiction does tend to cover these issues. I still don’t like the term “women’s fiction” because it implies that it’s is just for women. I have read some “women’s fiction” that I believe men would like as well. In fact I have seen a few very positive reviews from men on Vera Jane Cook’s books. Vera Jane Cooks writing, no matter what other genres may be attached, is quite literary, IMO. Also, back when I was younger, to my knowledge, “women’s fiction” wasn’t a genre. Everything aimed towards women was in the romance umbrella. It didn’t matter if there was romance in it or not. I don’t think “women’s fiction” is a perfect label but I do think it’s an improvement over labelling everything as romance.
Thank you for this thoughtful, interesting response, Teddy!
I agree it’s an improvement over “Romance” as an umbrella for books women might like! It seems we are also in agreement on “women’s fiction”; I think it’s too limiting and disacknowledges the appeal to people other than women of stories that happen to focus on female protagonists and/or their struggles as women or in their traditional domains. It’s as if the publishing industry is saying book about family — or featuring mostly or exclusively female characters — is of such minimal possible appeal to non-women that it would be misleading to not point it out as women’s fiction. It’s all people’s fiction if you ask me. Also, I agree with Meg Wolitzer’s (I think this attribution is correct; I know she’s a voice for greater recognition of literary fiction written by women) critique of the genre as one’s that underplays literary strengths in books falling within its domain. It’s interesting to look at the women’s fiction subgenre of literary fiction that Amazon uses (maybe only in Kindle store because that’s where I usually browse).
nice review
I see, that you have reviewed other books by this author. Is this novel in the mystery genre or more in literary fiction? You have given just enough of the plot to peak my interest.
Hi Denise, Pleasant Day has a nice balance of both mystery and literary, IMO. The other three books by Vera Jane Cook didn’t have much mystery in them but also kept me turning the pages.
I will look for this one. It sounds good.
Teddy, I enjoyed your review and this book as well! I would definitely like to read more work by this author. I was “hooked” on the very first page of this novel. Thanks for inviting me to participate in this tour.
Susan, I highly recommend ‘Dancing Backwards in Paradise’, ‘The Story of Sassy Sweetwater’, and ‘Where the Wildflowers Grow’. She has others as well but I haven’t read them yet.