Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus More


Feb 13

2

Review & Giveaway: The Eight Wonder by Kimberly Young

Posted by Teddyrose@1 on February 2, 2013
Posted in Books Read in 2013 • My Past Giveaways  | 5 Comments

Book Description:


Publisher: Author House, January 31, 2012
Category: Literary Fiction, Contemporary, Romance
Tour Dates: February, 2013
Available in: Print, Kindle,  & Nook, 208 pages

A modern Bridges of Madison County, Nicole Benson, 35, is an ambitious college professor with dreams of teaching at an Ivy-League school until she meets Tom Ryan, 44, married 23 years and shattered after his daughter’s death from leukemia. A first-generation in her family to go to college,  Nicole is a self-made woman. She put herself through school, sacrificing marriage and children for her career. In the summer of 1997, she finally graduates with a Ph.D. from NYU, but her life is thrust into chaos when her father is diagnosed with terminal cancer. Abandoned by her mother as a girl, her father is all she has.

After fifteen years in New York City, Nicole leaves everything and everyone she knows to teach for a year in rural Bradford, Pennsylvania to be close to him in nearby Buffalo. Now, trapped in tiny Bradford, she has never felt more alone in her life…until she meets Tom Ryan.

At 44, Tom represents what Nicole longs to be: settled, secure, and clear about his purpose and direction in life. Emotionally scarred, he and his wife are empty nesters with an older son away at college and struggle to grieve together after the death of their daughter. Tom and Nicole’s story begins as a journey of self-discovery for both of them but turns to bittersweet romance when their friendship becomes love. Nicole risks offering what she has never given before, her heart; and Tom has never felt happier or more conflicted when he falls in love for the second time in his life.

My Thoughts:


I rarely read romance novels. I like books with at least some literary merit, strong plot and strong characters.  The Eight Wonder sounded like it would include all of that along with some romance.  It did not disappoint!

Both Nicole and Tom are both very intelligent characters.  One of the reason Tom takes to Nicole so fast is that she is intelligent. Yes, they do fall in love but it is a mature love.  This book is much more about relationships than romance.

I loved this book!  Kimberly Young wrote in perfect pitch with breath taking imagery and well drawn out characters, including the bridge, itself.  I was sucked into the pages as if I was right there, in Bradford.   Highly Recommended!


5/5


I was given this book for my honest review.


About Kimberly Young:


Kimberly Young is a licensed psychologist, an author, and an internationally-known speaker on Internet addiction. In 1995, she founded the Center for Internet Addiction and since then she has written numerous articles on the topic including four books, Caught in the Net, Tangled in the Web, Breaking Free of the Web, and Internet Addiction: A Handbook for Evaluation and Treatment.


She is a professor at St. Bonaventure University and her work has appeared in hundreds of media outlets including The New York Times, USA Today, Time, and Newsweek, and she has appeared on The Today Show, Good Morning America, CNBC, CNN, and ABC World News Tonight. She has written creatively on and off since she was eight-years-old, mainly working on poems and short stories. While recovering from retina re-attachment eye surgery, she was homebound for several months and decided to pursue her creative writing more seriously. The Eighth Wonder is her first novel.


Buy The Eight Wonder at:

Amazon.com: Hardcover, Paperback, or  Kindle
Barnes & Noble: Hardcover or Nook
Book Depository: Hardcover and Paperback

Now for the giveaway! Thanks to Kimberly, I am giving away one copy of The Eighth Wonder in PDF format only.  The giveaway is international and ends on March 6, 2013.  Please use Rafflecopter to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow the Tour:

So Many Precious Books  Feb 2 Review & Giveaway
Tina’s Book Review Feb 4 Review
Tina’s Book Review Feb 5 Guest Post  & Giveaway
Ann’s Reading Corner Feb 5 Review
JoyStory Feb 6  Review
Romance Bookie  Feb 7 Guest Post
Kerrific Online Feb 8 Review & Giveaway
Laurie’s Non-Paranormal Thoughts Feb 8 Excerpt
 I Know That Book  Feb 9 Guest Post
My Life In Stories Feb 11 Review
My Life In Stories Feb 12 Guest Post, Excerpt, & Giveaway
From L.A. to LA Feb 13 Review
Teena in Toronto  Feb 14 Review
Demon Lover & Got Fiction Feb 15 Review
Books a l mode Feb 15  Excerpt & Giveaway
Melissa’s Midnight Musings Feb 16 Review
A Book Lover’s Lib. Feb 18 Review
A Book Lover’s Lib. Feb 19 Iinterview
Sweeps 4 Bloggers Feb 20 Review & Giveaway
Peaceful Wishing Feb 21 Review
Sylvia’s Literary Blog Feb 21 Spotlight
wall-to-wall books  Feb 22 Review & Giveaway
Romance & Inspiration Feb 24 Review
Romance & Inspiration Feb 25 Interview
Dr. Bill’s Book Bazaar Feb 25 Review
Reader Girls Feb 26 Review
Reader Girls  Feb 27 GuestPost
Minding Spot Feb 27 Review & Giveaway
Rainy Days & Mondays Feb 28 Review
Rainy Days & Mondays Feb 28 Interview
Lily Pond Reads March 1 Review
Walk on Words  March 4 Review
Walk on Words March 5 Interview & Giveaway

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Copyright 2007-2010: All the posts within this blog were originally posted by Teddy Rose and should not be reproduced without express written permission.

Feb 13

1

Review & Giveaway: Against My Will by Benjamin Berkley

Posted by Teddyrose@1 on February 1, 2013
Posted in Books Read in 2013 • My Past Giveaways  | 6 Comments

Publisher: Frederick Fell Publishers, Inc., September 1, 2012

Category: Fiction- Relationships, Abuse, Romance, Holocaust, Suspense
Tour Dates: February, 2013
Available in: Print and PDF, 247 pages

AGAINST MY WILL is the life changing novel about Danielle, a victim of marital abuse, who finds the strength to leave her husband and pursue a career in law.

Danielle Landau knows she should feel lucky, but she can’t feel anything but dread. Not only did she pass the New York Bar, but she married the man her father says is just right for her and lives in a fashionable new loft in Queens. But the man who seems like the perfect catch is a perfect nightmare at home. Jacob tries to control her career, her daily routine, and even what she eats. He ignores her desires and belittles her every chance he gets. Soon, Danielle doesn’t recognize her husband or herself, and she struggles to find a way out.

Danielle tries to talk to her father but he dismisses her marital problems.  But she can confide in her Nana Rose, a Holocaust survivor who lost her entire family at the hands of the Nazis. Rose helped raise Danielle and her brother when their mother died when Danielle was only three.  Having faced death, Rose is Danielle’s source of security.  But while Danielle holds on to the fragile belief that her father’s prince charming will change, she is raped by her husband on the night of their one year wedding anniversary.

Now, Danielle has to escape.  And with the help of her beloved Nana, Danielle moves across the country and starts to rebuild her life. But will she be able to escape her past? And when one of her clients finds herself in the same terrible situation, will Danielle have the strength to help her?

As we follow Danielle on her journey of terror and recovery, we see her story intersect with the diary entries of her Nana as a young girl held captive in a concentration camp.  The entries begin with Rose waking up in a hospital after the liberation of the Mauthausen Concentration Camp.    Graphically she recounts the train ride to the camp and the emotional separation of her from her family upon arrival.    And the full weight of the family’s secrets becomes clear. This is a story of survival, self-discovery, justice, and ultimately, it’s about love.

My Thoughts:


Wow, this book kept me up. Now because it was well written with a strong character study and wonderful plot, although this book is all of the above.  It kept me up all night because I could relate to is so much. 


When I was in my early twenties I was married to an abusive guy who abused me in similar ways that Danielle was abused.  Thanks to the loving support of my family, I got out pretty quick and turned my life around. However, this book made it all flood back to me. 


You might wonder how a intelligent woman can get herself in such a predicament.  I have asked myself that many times.  For Danielle, she was pushed into it by her father who thought she was marring “a nice Jewish man.”  She was already 29 and he wanted his daughter to marry and have children before she was too old.


It was Danielle’s grandmother, Rose (also my grandmother’s name), a Holocaust survior, who helped her get away.  We learn of Rose’s story from the diary she kept after she was rescued from the concentration camp.


I loved this book!  I only had one tiny issue with it, there were quite a few Yiddish word in it.  Coming from a Jewish family, I know a few Yiddish words but I didn’t know all of the word in the book.  I think it would have been helpful to include a page of English translations.


My favorite part of the story was of Rose’s diary entries of her experiences in the Holocaust.  I also loved how richly textured the writing and characters.  All of the main character were well defined and leapt off the page.   The book was very hard to put down!  I highly recommend it!


4.5/5


This book was sent to me for my honest review.


About Benjamin Berkley:


“Against My Will” is Benjamin Berkley’s fifth book and debut novel.  He is also the author of four self-help books:       “My Wishes, Your Plan for Organizing Your Family’s Needs” (Sourcebooks, June, 2006)   “The Complete Executor’s Guide” (Sourcebooks, June 2007)   “Winning Your Social Security Disability Case” (Sourcebooks, February, 2008) and “Before You Say I Do Again, A Buyer’s Beware Guide to Remarriage.” (Frederick Fell Publishers, September, 2009).

And though writing is his passion, for over 34 years he has conducted a busy law practice in which he has seen many interesting clients come through his door.  One in particular, an older woman with white hair, the kindest smile, and an amazing story became the inspiration for one of his characters for “Against My Will.”   Berkley lives in southern California with his wife Phyllis and their cat Riley.   He has two grown children and is always bragging about his most beautiful grandson and granddaughter.

Buy Against My Will at:

Now for the giveaway!  Thanks to Benjamin, I am giving away on copy of this book.  If you live in the U.S. or Canada, you will receive a print copy.  If you live internationally you will receive the PDF.  This giveaway ends on March 1, 2013.  Please Use Rafflecopter to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow the Tour:
So Many Precious Books Feb 1 Review & Giveaway
Reviewing Novels Feb 4 Review
Mom of 2 Dancers Feb 6 Review & Giveaway
I Know That Book Feb 7 Interview
Belle of the Literati Feb 8 Review & Giveaway
Lucybird’s Book Blog Feb 11 Review
Teena in Toronto Feb 12 Review
Books a l mode Feb 12 Guest Post  & Giveaway
Celtic Lady Reviews Feb 13 Review
Romance & Inspiration Feb 14 Review
Cheryl’s Book Nook Feb 15 Review
Sweeps 4 Bloggers Feb 18 Review & Giveaway
Love Of Film And Novels Feb 19 Review & Giveaway
Writing Daze Feb 19th Spotlight
JoyStory Feb 20 Review
The Wormhole  Feb 22 Review
The Wormhole  Feb 23 Interview
Peaceful Wishing Feb 25 Review
Beauty and Books  Feb 25 Interview & Giveaway
She Treads Softly Feb 26 Review
Over Cups of Coffee Feb 27 Review
Curling Up By the Fire Feb 28 Review
The News in Books Feb 28 Interview

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Copyright 2007-2010: All the posts within this blog were originally posted by Teddy Rose and should not be reproduced without express written permission.

Jan 13

21

Review: Scammed by Art Maines

Posted by Teddyrose@1 on January 21, 2013
Posted in Book Tours • Books Read in 2013  | 3 Comments

Book Description:


Publisher : Love Your Life Publishing,  October  12, 2012
Category: Non-Fiction
Tour Dates: January & February, 2013
Available in: Print and ebook, 210 pages

One in Five US Seniors are Scam Victims, Learn How to Prevent and Recover from this Crime:


When author Art Maines’ beloved stepfather Bill was cheated out of thousands of dollars, Art went on a mission to ensure no other family experiences this tragic crime.

In Scammed, Art provides a three step scam prevention and recovery program, based on his training as a social worker, therapist, and his extensive research.  Suitable for seniors or children of elderly parents, Scammed will help you:

§  Understand the most common types of scams

§  Learn the psychological ploys used by scammers so that you can spot a scammer immediately

§  Create a scam prevention plan

§  Recover from a scam with your dignity intact

§  Use the resources in your community if you suspect a scam

My Thoughts:


When I was asked to review this book I jumped at the chance.  My mother-in-law was a scam victim.  She wasn’t taken for as much money as some of the examples in this book but it made me wonder how we could better protect her and my mother from being scammed. 


Art Maine’s book was just the book to answer my questions.  He not only gave me ideas for protecting those I love but also some of the people I work with as a social worker.  He wrote this book in such a way that I was engaged in his writing as well as I was able to easily understand his points.  This book needed to be written and I’m glad that Maines took it on in to his very capable hands.


This book is a must for those who have elderly loved ones, who are elderly, and for those who work with vulnerable people!


5/5


I received this book from the author for my honest opinion.


About Art Maines:


Art Maines, LCSW, is a licensed clinical social worker in private practice, speaker, and expert in elderly fraud recovery and prevention.  He earned his Master’s Degree in social work from Washington University in St. Louis, MO.  Art and his stepfather Bill live in St. Louis.

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Copyright 2007-2010: All the posts within this blog were originally posted by Teddy Rose and should not be reproduced without express written permission.

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