Category: Women’s Health

Book Review | “The Wild One” (#CoorahCreek No.2) by Janet Gover #ChocLitSaturdays

Posted Saturday, 23 April, 2016 by jorielov , , , , , 0 Comments

ChocLitSaturdays Banner Created by Jorie in Canva.

Why I feature #ChocLitSaturdays (book reviews & guest author features)
and created #ChocLitSaturday (the chat via @ChocLitSaturday):

I wanted to create a bit of a niche on Jorie Loves A Story to showcase romance fiction steeped in relationships, courtships, and the breadth of marriage enveloped by characters written honestly whose lives not only endear you to them but they nestle into your heart as their story is being read!

I am always seeking relationship-based romance which strikes a chord within my mind’s eye as well as my heart! I’m a romantic optimist, and I love curling into a romance where I can be swept inside the past, as history becomes lit alive in the fullness of the narrative and I can wander amongst the supporting cast observing the principal characters fall in love and sort out if they are a proper match for each other!

I love how an Indie Publisher like ChocLitUK is such a positive alternative for those of us who do not identify ourselves as girls and women who read ‘chick-lit’. I appreciate the stories which alight in my hands from ChocLit as much as I appreciate the inspirational romances I gravitate towards because there is a certain level of depth to both outlets in romance which encourage my spirits and gives me a beautiful story to absorb! Whilst sorting out how promote my book reviews on behalf of ChocLit, I coined the phrase “ChocLitSaturdays”, which is a nod to the fact my ChocLit reviews & features debut on ‘a Saturday’ but further to the point that on the ‘weekend’ we want to dip into a world wholly ideal and romantic during our hours off from the work week!

Coffee and Tea Clip Art Set purchased on Etsy; made by rachelwhitetoo.

Acquired Book By: I am a regular reviewer for ChocLitUK, where I hand select which books in either their backlist and/or current releases I would like to read next for my #ChocLitSaturdays blog feature. I received a complimentary copy of “The Wild One” from ChocLit in exchange for an honest review! I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Why I fell in love with Coorah Creek:

To fully capture my initial excitement about learning this series was going to continue, you can click to view the first tweet I shared! I have a soft spot for Westerns – stemming out of my love for horse-back riding but also, because I fell in love with the country having spent equal portions of my life between city and rural environs. Being close to the natural world and being cognisantly aware of wildlife and the natural habitats which play such an important role in our cyclic health on Earth has left an impression on my heart, mind and imagination.

I started reading Westerns as a young girl – curled up inside Cowboy fiction and the Americana of the Western Frontier is one way I spent a happy afternoon engrossed inside the pages of novels whose spirit of the West and of a particular kind of lifestyle championed a spark of joy inside me. This is why to this day, I love seeking out Westerns – either straight-up traditional historicals or the Contemporaries who are breaking new frontiers as they bring us a new endearing locale to frame our minds around a setting which can resonate as readily as the historical past!

This is one reason you’ll find more of these stories emerging on my blog as time moves forward, because I have two favourite authors (Liz Harris and Janet Gover) who write the novels I am seeking from ChocLit but also, because I have stories on my TBR List (of whom I need to add to my Leafmarks!) which are my ‘itching to read next’ choices! If you’ve caught sight of my reviews on behalf of the novels of Carolyn Steele (Willow Springs and Soda Springs) you will recognise instantly what I love about modern day Western authors! Even MK McClintock has a heap of lovelies I want to explore whilst finishing my stay inside her Alaina Claiborne! (see this conversation I had with her last year) Even Carla Kelly endeared me to her style as soon as I stepped through the pages of Softly Falling! It is an incredible time to be a reader of Western fiction!

When it comes to Coorah Creek, I was happily surprised by what I found inside the novel, so much so, I ached for a sequel long before I ever realised one was being breathed into life! Here is a sampling of my review on behalf of the first story which I did not want to end:

Creating a realistic impression of the Australian Outback is Janet Gover’s gift:

I honestly could not stop reading Flight to Coorah Creek, and in doing so, left myself at a bit of a loss as to how to properly leave behind my esteem and love of the story! I simply did not want to leave my comfy chair and make my way to my keyboard! I absorbed myself so fully into this story, as I had ached to get into the heart of it for most of Spring & Summer, that by the time I found the pages flying past my fingers, there simply was not one second to spare! I was thankful to soak into a light medical drama which did not affect me as medical dramas generally do these days (ooh, how I miss reading them!), as I was quite fascinated with Gover’s ability to take research & first hand experience (as she had disclosed in a #ChocLitSaturdays : chat on Twitterthat she had experienced an air ambulance service) and turnt it into such a believable and commendable tale of second chances, new beginnings, and atonement!

The subtle way she included what I would generally think of as a ‘third’ character: the Australian Outback itself was an alarming treat for your senses! And, how interesting that most of what was spoken about are part of the natural beauty I appreciate myself, even if the frying in the laser sharp heat of the sun might not be as keen, it was how she turnt the natural world into a visual backdrop I appreciated the most. The Outback was also quite the character, as the winds would shift and reveal a few things about where all of these lovely characters had settled into a sense of home and stability of calm. I honestly cannot wait to read another novel where she takes me on another epic journey of an adventure!

I have seen many a motion picture which involves drama on a plane, but I must say, Gover had me on the very edge of my seat and I nearly forgot to breathe whilst reading the passages where the flying was anything but routine!

as quoted from my review of Flight to Coorah Creek, the first book in the series

Sadly, there is anchour to this story, a novella which is currently only available in ebook format (Christmas at Coorah Creek) rather than being released into print or audiobook. It’s my mission to gather the audiobooks by ChocLit for the novellas and/or any novel that doesn’t make it to print but goes into audio release! I would love to say one day I have a lovely bookcase full of ChocLit paperbacks and audiobooks on CD! Until then, I gather in my mind which ones I wish to collect and hope for the best!

For those of you whose thirst for this series is intrigued to seek out the stories, let me share the synopsis for the novella! Remember this follows the time-line straight after Flight to Coorah Creek!

What if you don’t want to be home for Christmas?

Spending Christmas away from home is one thing but English nurse Katie Brooks is spending hers in Coorah Creek; a small town in the Australian outback.

Katie was certain leaving London was the right decision, but her new job in the outback is more challenging than she could have ever imagined.

Scott Collins rescued Katie on her first day in Coorah Creek and has been a source of comfort ever since. But Scott no longer calls the town home – it’s too full of bad memories and he doesn’t plan on sticking around for long.

Scott needs to leave. Katie needs to stay. They have until Christmas to decide their future …

Coffee and Tea Clip Art Set purchased on Etsy; made by rachelwhitetoo.

Book Review | “The Wild One” (#CoorahCreek No.2) by Janet Gover #ChocLitSaturdaysThe Wild One
Subtitle: A Coorah Creek Novel

Can four wounded souls find love?

Iraq war veteran Dan Mitchell once disobeyed an order – and it nearly destroyed him. Now a national park ranger in the Australian outback, he’s faced with another order he is unwilling to obey …

Photographer Rachel Quinn seeks out beauty in unlikely places. Her work comforted Dan in his darkest days. But Quinn knows darkness too – and Dan soon realises she needs his help as much as he needs hers.

Carrie Bryant was a talented jockey until a racing accident broke her nerve. Now Dan and Quinn need her expertise, but can she face her fear? And could horse breeder Justin Fraser, a man fighting to save his own heritage, be the one to help put that fear to rest?

Sometimes, the wounds you can’t see are the hardest to heal…


Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

Find on Book Browse

ISBN: 9781781892664

Series: Coorah Creek


Also in this series: Flight to Coorah Creek


on 2nd April, 2016

Pages: 278

Published by: ChocLitUK (@ChocLituk)

Available Formats: Paperback, Audiobook, Large Print & E-Book

Coorah Creek series:

Flight to Coorah Creek | No.1 (review)

Christmas at Coorah Creek | Novella

The Wild One | No.2

(read my Cover Reveal celebration for The Wild One)

Converse via: #CoorahCreek or #TheWildOne and #ChocLit

About Janet Gover

Janet Gover

Janet lives in Surrey with her English husband but grew up in the Australian outback surrounded by books. She solved mysteries with Sherlock Holmes, explored jungles with Edgar Rice Burroughs and shot to the stars with Isaac Asimov and Ray Bradbury. After studying journalism at Queensland University she became a television journalist, first in Australia, then in Asia and Europe. During her career Janet saw and did a lot of unusual things. She met one Pope, at least three Prime Ministers, a few movie stars and a dolphin. Janet now works in television production and travels extensively with her job.

Janet’s first short story, The Last Dragon, was published in 2002. Since then she has published numerous short stories, one of which won the Elizabeth Goudge Award from the Romantic Novelists’ Association. She has previously published three novels with Little Black Dress, Flight to Coorah Creek is her debut with Choc Lit and Bring Me Sunshine her first Choc Lit Lite ebook novella.

Coffee and Tea Clip Art Set purchased on Etsy; made by rachelwhitetoo. Read More

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Posted Saturday, 23 April, 2016 by jorielov in #JorieLovesIndies, 21st Century, Action & Adventure Fiction, Australia, Australian Literature, Blog Tour Host, ChocLitSaturdays, ChocLitUK, Contemporary Romance, Flashbacks & Recollective Memories, Indie Author, Life Shift, Mental Health, Mental Illness, Modern British Literature, Modern Day, Passionate Researcher, PTSD, Realistic Fiction, Romance Fiction, Second Chance Love, Singletons & Commitment, Small Towne Fiction, TV Serials & Motion Pictures, Vulgarity in Literature, Western Fiction, Western Romance, Women's Fiction, Women's Health, Writing Style & Voice

Blog Book Tour : #EyreApril | “The Jane and Bertha in Me” (a collection of #poetry) by Rita Maria Martinez celebrating Jane Eyre & Bertha!

Posted Friday, 22 April, 2016 by jorielov , , , , , 3 Comments

Ruminations & Impressions Book Review Banner created by Jorie in Canva. Photo Credit: Unsplash Public Domain Photographer Sergey Zolkin.

Gifted: I was blessed by being gifted a copy of this collection of poetry, which blessedly was in time to participate in the blog tour on it’s behalf via Poetic Book Tours. Even though I was gifted a copy of “The Jane and Bertha in Me” by someone who understood my passion for Brontë and my love of “Jane Eyre”, I was not obligated to post a review nor did it influence my opinions or impression of reading the collection. I chose to post my thoughts on this collection as a tie-in to my own celebrations this April on behalf of “Jane Eyre”; they reflect my honest impressions herein. Likewise, I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein. 

Why I was motivated to become involved with this blog tour:

Jane Eyre has become a part of my being – from the very first moment I learnt of the story, to the first time I took in the adaptation which forever changed my impression on behalf of the story and the manner in which the author penned her story originally. The adaptation I most appreciate (thus far along) is the 1996 version starring Charlotte Gainsbourg and William Hurt.

Let me share a bit more about why this adaptation touched my heart:

My initial introduction to Ms. Jane Eyre: Came during the early hours of a morning wretched by the plight of the sickly girl frustrated beyond hilt and despite to do something that could advert her misery! She plucked the remote control up off the nightstand and dared the tv to illuminate a movie that could curtail sleep and cast aside her anguish! She had to flip through several channels before stumbling across a seemingly British teleplay with gothic underpinnings! A few scenes in, she was not only hooked but she had abandoned the remote! A few scenes more and she deduced she was watching an adaptation of Jane Eyre! She felt betwixt with herself for even considering to watch this film knowing full and well that she had intended always to read this particular novel ahead of seeing its adaptation,… her eyes veered back to the discarded remote and her heart leapt out a response to qualm her furrowed brow. Her tired eyes moved back to the screen and she became fully entranced with Thornfield Hall!

– as quoted from my Books of Eyre Reading Challenge

Since the original Septemb-Eyre event in the book blogosphere [September, 2013] I have been attempting to re-enter Jane Eyre and the beautiful after canons: re-tellings and/or sequels thereafter. This is why I was so thrilled to bits to find there was an ‘Books of Eyre’ reading challenge – however, the time-frame was not a good one for me, thus I have extended it as a personal challenge outside it’s original scope. This parlays well as I’m a member of The Classics Club, wherein I am championing Classical Lit on as I’m quite keen to entreat inside the lovelies of literature I have not yet had the pleasure of reading!

I must confess – I had absolutely no foreknowledge that *April, 2016* was such a historic moment for readers who love Jane Eyre and respectively her author Charlotte Brontë! It’s a bit like how I missed the anniversary of reading/re-reading Pride and Prejudice a few years ago whilst the rest of the book blogosphere was well underway in their celebratory events. I seem to be on the fringes of knowing when certain bookish milestones are upcoming – not because I don’t have my ear to the rails but because, I think sometimes you get caught up inside your own life – not just the books on our shelves we’re constantly reading or hoping to read next – but the seasons of our lives which occupy our hours outside of this bookish reprieve, where we settle our thoughts and share our bookish lives through the output of our blogs (and/or tweets via the twitterverse; for me, it’s my micro-blog!).

Imagine then – my dearest joy in finding I could curl back inside Jane Eyre, pick up Wide Sargasso Sea for the very first time all the whilst finding two after canon writers who’ve put their mark on Eyre! The first author I have the pleasure of sharing with you dear hearts, is Rita Maria Martinez whose taken her pen to creatively fuse the characters we belove inside a hearty collection of poetry whilst Luccia Gray has given us a thrilling trilogy which is a curious splice between Jane Eyre and Wide Sargasso Sea!

I’ve determined my Eyre celebrations will be tagged #EyreApril to ring in ‘Eyre in April’ whilst everyone else is yielding to the established tag of #Bronte200. To whichever way we choose to share conversely our thoughts and murmurings on behalf of characters who have bewitched us for two hundred years, let’s be happy for the chance to revel in the fact Classical Lit is still relevant to today’s literary audience!

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Blog Book Tour : #EyreApril | “The Jane and Bertha in Me” (a collection of #poetry) by Rita Maria Martinez celebrating Jane Eyre & Bertha!The Jane and Bertha in Me
by Rita Maria Martinez
Source: Gifted

This spring marks the bicentennial of Charlotte Brontë’s birth.

In her ambitious and timely debut, The Jane and Bertha in Me, Rita Maria Martinez celebrates Brontë’s classic novel Jane Eyre.

Through wildly inventive, beautifully crafted persona poems, Martinez re-imagines Jane Eyre’s cast of characters in contemporary contexts, from Jane as an Avon saleslady to Bertha as a Stepford wife.

These lively, fun, poignant poems prove that Jane Eyre’s fictional universe is just as relevant today as it was so many years ago. The Jane and Bertha in Me is a must-read for any lover of Brontë’s work.

Genres: After Canons, Poetry & Drama, Re-telling &/or Sequel



Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 978-0692543412

Published by Aldrich Press

on 12th January, 2016

Format: Paperback Edition

Pages: 89

Published By: Aldrich Press an imprint of Kelsay Books

Converse via: #JaneEyre, #Bronte200, #CharlotteBronte and #JaneAndMe*

*this is a celebration of showing photos of your books of ‘Eyre’ and/or reading ‘Jane Eyre’

About Rita Maria Martinez

Rita Maria Martinez

Rita Maria Martinez is a Cuban-American poet from Miami, Florida. Her writing has been published in journals including the Notre Dame Review, Ploughshares, MiPOesias, and 2River View.

She authored the chapbook Jane-in-the-Box, published by March Street Press in 2008. Her poetry also appears in the textbook Three Genres: The Writing of Fiction/Literary Nonfiction, Poetry and Drama, published by Prentice Hall; and in the anthology Burnt Sugar, Caña Quemada: Contemporary Cuban Poetry in English and Spanish, published by Simon & Schuster. Martinez has been a featured author at the Miami Book Fair International; at the Society of the Four Arts in Palm Beach, Florida; and at the Palabra Pura reading series sponsored by the Guild Literary Complex in Chicago. She earned her Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing from Florida International University.

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Posted Friday, 22 April, 2016 by jorielov in 21st Century, After the Canon, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Book Cover | Notation on Design, Classical Literature, Equality In Literature, Fly in the Ointment, Indie Author, Inspired By Author OR Book, Inspired by Stories, Jane Eyre Sequel | Re-telling, Mental Health, Mental Illness, Modern Day, Multi-cultural Characters and/or Honest Representations of Ethnicity, Poetic Book Tours, Poetry, Self-Harm Practices, Vulgarity in Literature, Women's Health, Women's Rights

Book Review | “all in her head” by Sunny Mera #FRC2015 No.1

Posted Tuesday, 1 March, 2016 by jorielov , , , 0 Comments

BookSparks University | #FRC2015 Banner by BookSparks.

I had fully intended to read my #FRC2015 selections hugged closer to the months of Autumn and early Winter, however, my dear hearted readers of whom have caught my posts relating to circumstances which wicked out hours and derailed my attempts to read along with the rest of the book bloggers who took up the same challenge are already in the loop realising my readings of these stories will come quite a bit later than planned.

To recap the events for those who are visiting me for the first time,
please direct your attention to the following posts:

What turnt this whole situation around for me, is being able to talk to the publicists at BookSparks on two separate occasions when I felt I was treading water as I knew time had wicked itself off the clock and I was at a proper loss as to where to ‘begin’ despite the fact I have a shelf full of BookSparks reading challenge and blog tour lovelies to read which I’ve been itching with curiosity about since they each arrived and/or since I first met them through my local library who purchased my requests on behalf of the #SRC2015 and #FRC2015 selections.

I had felt quite a bit guilty regarding the latter, as despite having my purchase requests accepted and added to the card catalogue: time was unfortunately never on my side to soak inside the stories themselves. There was an unexpected moment of clarity though about my requests, where I found myself talking to different librarians and finding they were encouraged to read new authors of whom they never would have ‘met’ had I not requested the reading challenge titles! Talk about putting everything into a different prospective of understanding!

This marks my fourth review overall spilt between #SRC2015, #ReadingIsBeautiful and #FRC2015, however, it is the very first Fall Reading Challenge selection I am reading as blessedly I was encouraged to ‘reverse the list’ in order to best highlight the books being highlighted between Autumn 2015 and Winter 2016. I am simply happy to be in a position to lay heart and mind inside the stories I’ve dearly wanted to read and now can give them my full attention!Rainbow Digital Clip Art Washi Tape made by The Paper Pegasus. Purchased on Etsy by Jorie and used with permission.

Ruminations & Impressions Book Review Banner created by Jorie in Canva. Photo Credit: Unsplash Public Domain Photographer Sergey Zolkin.

Acquired Book By: I originally found BookSparks PR Spring 2014, when I came upon the Summer Reading Challenge a bit too late in the game. I hadn’t forgotten about it, and was going to re-contact them this Spring to see if I could join the challenge in 2015 instead. Coincidentally, before I sorted this out, I was contacted by one of their publicists about Linda Lafferty’s Renaissance historical novel, “The Sheperdess of Siena”. 

I started to participate in #SRC2015 during Summer 2015 until lightning storms quickly overtook my life and the hours I could give to the reading challenge. Summer ended hard and with a newfound resolve to pick up where I had left off, I posted as many reviews on behalf of BookSparks blog tours and/or the three reading challenges I had committed myself to participate inside (i.e. #SRC2015, #ReadingIsBeautiful (YA version), and #FRC2015).

I elected to read “All In Her Head” via the complimentary copy I received by BookSparks as the library copy I had requested is happily being read by other patrons. By participating in the #FRC2015 challenge I am reading the novels in exchange for my honest reviews; whether I am receiving a complimentary copy or borrowing them through my local library. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

My selection process for #FRC2015:

As a book blogger, one of the things I recognise that helps me grow as a reader is to be open-minded about story-lines, character journeys, topics and subjects that might continuously push me outside my comfort zones to endeavour to read. There is a reading challenge I found in 2014 called Mental Health Awareness Month which I had wanted to join a part of but ending up following a fellow book bloggers on their journey inside the books which would celebrate the theme of the challenge. The diversity of choices these bloggers elected to read and how they in-turn blogged about their experiences never left my conscience as part of why I happily shared my views about #EqualityInLit during the #AtoZChallenge of 2014 was to capitalise on how wide a range Diversity and Equality in Literature truly reaches.

Therefore, when I came across ‘all in her head’ on the listing of choices for the Fall Reading Challenge via BookSparks my interest was piqued and I decided to add my name to the list of book bloggers who would be interested in reading this selection. At the same time, I was mindful of how many friends throughout my life have been affected by mental illness and have striven to seek a better state of mental wellness; as nothing is as clear cut as it may first seem when it comes to the psychology of a person’s health.

I champion writers who have a personal conviction towards writing Mental Health issues into their stories as much as the writers who have a personal experience with Mental Health which encourages their creative voice to give a more honest and authentic touch to the stories they are creating to share a bit of insight into their life and world. Previously, I have touched subjects where characters felt they were in the middle of an insurrection where they had to live through or move past a life moment which carried with it a resounding affirmation of how to rise above your tribulations through a buoy of hope as read inside: Etched On Me by Jenn Crowell (review); The Language of Hoofbeats by Catherine Ryan Hyde (review); Chain of Mercy by Brenda S. Anderson (review); The Summer of Chasing Mermaids by Sarah Ockler (review); Hannah Both Ways by Rosie Greenway (review) and Some Other Town by Elizabeth Collison (review) wherein characters were attempting to work through a life obstacle which tested their strength of will.

Prior to re-beginning my readings of BookSparks selected authors and stories across genres, I have found a newfound appetite for Feminist-driven stories evoking an honest portrait of women’s issues and rights being explored in fiction. This new appreciation of mine is best seen on my recent reviews of The Renegade Queen by Eva Flynn (review), The Particular Appeal of Gillian Pugsley by Susan Örnbratt (review), Emmy Nation: Undercover Suffragette by L. Davis Munro (review) and Daughter of Destiny by Nicole Evelina (review).

Rainbow Digital Clip Art Washi Tape made by The Paper Pegasus. Purchased on Etsy by Jorie and used with permission.

Book Review | “all in her head” by Sunny Mera #FRC2015 No.1all in her head
by Sunny Mera
Source: Direct from Publicist

Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 9781631528187

Published by She Writes Press

on 10th November, 2015

Format: Paperback Edition

Pages: 184

written by Sunny Mera | Site | @MeraSunny

Published By:She Writes Press (@shewritespress)
originated from She Writes (@shewritesdotcom)
an imprint of Spark Points Studio LLCGoSparkPoint (@GoSparkPoint)
& BookSparks
(@BookSparks)
Available Formats: Paperback, Ebook

Converse via: #allinherhead & #FRC2015 Read More

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

  • #FRC2015 | BookSparks
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Posted Tuesday, 1 March, 2016 by jorielov in #JorieLovesIndies, 20th Century, 21st Century, Biographical Fiction & Non-Fiction, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Book | Novel Extract, Book for University Study, BookSparks, Debut Author, Debut Novel, Diary Accountment of Life, Disabilities & Medical Afflictions, Equality In Literature, Family Drama, Family Life, Fathers and Daughters, Flashbacks & Recollective Memories, Humour & Satire in Fiction / Non Fiction, Indie Author, Indie Book Trade, Journal, Library Love, Life Shift, Local Libraries | Research Libraries, Medical Fiction, Memoir, Mental Health, Modern Day, Modern Day, Motherhood | Parenthood, Nurses & Hospital Life, Realistic Fiction, Scribd, Sociological Behavior, Trauma | Abuse & Recovery, Vignettes of Real Life, Vulgarity in Literature, Women's Fiction, Women's Health, Women's Rights

Blog Book Tour | “The Beautiful American” by Jeanne Mackin

Posted Tuesday, 29 September, 2015 by jorielov , , , , 0 Comments

Ruminations & Impressions Book Review Banner created by Jorie in Canva. Photo Credit: Unsplash Public Domain Photographer Sergey Zolkin.

Acquired Book By: I was selected to be a tour stop on the “The Beautiful American” virtual book tour through HFVBT: Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours. I received a complimentary copy of the book direct from the author Jeanne Mackin, in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Why I felt I might fancy this novel:

I have a personal penchant for what I refer to as ‘Biographical Historical Fiction’ wherein the historical persons who lived are aptly portrayed through a historical treatment of their lives by a novelist who has a flaire for bringing their lives so fully to life, we feel as though we’ve met them in person. You’ll find that I have read quite a hearty array of historicals which befit this category and am always quite in full search of new writers who can lead me back through the corridors of the past and introduce me to someone who will bring history alive to me in all it’s glory and heartache. As for each life told, there is a happy balance of joy and strife, such is a well-rounded life well lived and told thereafter the person has passed on.

I personally find joy in this section of historical stories because the past becomes fiercely alive through the voices of the authors who pen these kinds of stories. We get to take an up close and personal voyage back through the tides of time whilst being caught up in the livelihood of a person who truly lived and felt every inch of the emotions we hope to catch sight of in the novel.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Note on the Cover Art: Did anyone else notice the sepia tone of hue on the cover when Lee Miller is being highlighted and how Paris in the background is a more muted reverie? I felt this was a fitting touch to the novel, especially as you become further into her folds, this novel doesn’t quite want to let you go – it stays with you, and you realise things you hadn’t seen at first glaance.

Blog Book Tour | “The Beautiful American” by Jeanne MackinThe Beautiful American
by Jeanne Mackin

As recovery from World War II begins, expat American Nora Tours travels from her home in southern France to London in search of her missing sixteen-year-old daughter. There, she unexpectedly meets up with an old acquaintance, famous model-turned-photographer Lee Miller. Neither has emerged from the war unscathed. Nora is racked with the fear that her efforts to survive under the Vichy regime may have cost her daughter’s life. Lee suffers from what she witnessed as a war correspondent photographing the liberation of the Nazi concentration camps.

Nora and Lee knew each other in the heady days of late 1920’s Paris, when Nora was giddy with love for her childhood sweetheart, Lee became the celebrated mistress of the artist Man Ray, and Lee’s magnetic beauty drew them all into the glamorous lives of famous artists and their wealthy patrons. But Lee fails to realize that her friendship with Nora is even older, that it goes back to their days as children in Poughkeepsie, New York, when a devastating trauma marked Lee forever. Will Nora’s reunion with Lee give them a chance to forgive past betrayals, and break years of silence?

A novel of freedom and frailty, desire and daring, The Beautiful American portrays the extraordinary relationship between two passionate, unconventional woman.


Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

Find on Book Browse

ISBN: 9780451465825

Also by this author:

on 3rd June 2014

Pages: 352

Jorie Loves A Story Cuppa Book Love Awards Badge created by Jorie in Canva. Coffee and Tea Clip Art Set purchased on Etsy; made by rachelwhitetoo.

Published By: New American Library (NAL)
( ) an imprint of Penguin Group (USA
)
Available Formats: Paperback, Ebook

Converse via: #TheBeautifulAmerican

About Jeanne Mackin

Jeanne Mackin

Jeanne Mackin’s novel, The Beautiful American (New American Library), based on the life of photographer and war correspondent Lee Miller, received the 2014 CNY award for fiction. Her other novels include A Lady of Good Family, about gilded age personality Beatrix Farrand, The Sweet By and By, about nineteenth century spiritualist Maggie Fox, Dreams of Empire set in Napoleonic Egypt, The Queen’s War, about Eleanor of Aquitaine, and The Frenchwoman, set in revolutionary France and the Pennsylvania wilderness.

Jeanne Mackin is also the author of the Cornell Book of Herbs and Edible Flowers (Cornell University publications) and co-editor of The Book of Love (W.W. Norton.) She was the recipient of a creative writing fellowship from the American Antiquarian Society and a keynote speaker for The Dickens Fellowship. Her work in journalism won awards from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, in Washington, D.C. She has taught or conducted workshops in Pennsylvania, Hawaii and at Goddard College in Vermont.

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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

  • 2015 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge
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Posted Tuesday, 29 September, 2015 by jorielov in 20th Century, Adulterous Affair, Biographical Fiction & Non-Fiction, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Book Cover | Notation on Design, Bookish Discussions, Clever Turns of Phrase, Fashion Industry, Father-Daughter Relationships, France, French Literature, Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours, Jorie Loves A Story Cuppa Book Love Awards, Lee Miller, Literary Fiction, Parfum Industry, Passionate Researcher, Photography, The World Wars, Trauma | Abuse & Recovery, War-time Romance, Women's Health, Women's Rights, Wordsmiths & Palettes of Sage, Writing Style & Voice

Book Review | Trying my first taste of #RomCom by Sue Moorcroft, “Starting Over” is the first of #Middledip series! #ChocLitSaturdays

Posted Saturday, 1 August, 2015 by jorielov , , , 2 Comments

ChocLitSaturdays Banner Created by Jorie in Canva.

Acquired Book By:

I am a ChocLit reviewer who receives books of my choice in exchange for honest reviews! I received a complimentary copy of “Starting Over” from ChocLit in exchange for an honest review! I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein. 

On wanting to read Moorcroft’s trilogy:

I joined Twitter in November of 2013, and one of the very first ChocLit authors who tweeted me a reply was Ms Moorcroft! It was always my intention to pick up her serial stories involving the small towne of Middledip, as you can see from this brief exchange back then how curious I was about one of the cars featured in the book trailer!

Time grew away from me, and if you fast forward to July 2015, Ms Moorcroft dropped in on #ChocLitSaturday much to my delight! I have been attempting to soak inside this RomCom since the book arrived by Post a few months ago; between then and now, my health was affected and mother nature decided to vex me something fierce with a battery of lightning storms which all but crippled my electronics and ability to blog! July blinked out of sight before I even knew how many hours I had lost watching the severe storms roll in and roll back out again!

I knew when I first read the premise of Starting Over I might enjoy a lovely reprieve inside a romantic comedy, as too oft I find myself picking up dramas; nothing wrong with that, except that I do miss a book that reminds me of the lighter sides of life and romance. It’s quite a good thing to remember to find stories that make you laugh and make you think about their characters in a way that is a pure uplift of spirit. I used to read more lighter faire in Romance but somewhere along the way, the historicals and the dramas (esp war dramas) swept me up into their epic narratives and haven’t quite let me go!

Coffee and Tea Clip Art Set purchased on Etsy; made by rachelwhitetoo.Book Review | Trying my first taste of #RomCom by Sue Moorcroft, “Starting Over” is the first of #Middledip series! #ChocLitSaturdaysStarting Over
by Sue Moorcroft
Source: Direct from Publisher

New home, new friends, new love. Can starting over be that simple?

Tess Riddell reckons her beloved Freelander is more reliable than any man – especially her ex-fiancé, Olly Gray. She’s moving on from her old life and into the perfect cottage in the country.

Miles Rattenbury’s passions? Old cars and new women! Romance? He’s into fun rather than commitment.

When Tess crashes the Freelander into his breakdown truck, they find that they’re nearly neighbours – yet worlds apart. Despite her overprotective parents and a suddenly attentive Olly, she discovers the joys of village life and even forms an unlikely friendship with Miles. Then, just as their relationship develops into something deeper, an old flame comes looking for him…

Is their love strong enough to overcome the past? Or will it take more than either of them is prepared to give?


Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

Published by ChocLitUK

on 1st November 2009

Format: Paperback Edition

Pages: 336

Published by: ChocLitUK (@ChocLitUK)

Formats Available: Paperback, Audiobook, Large Print, & Ebook

Lovely interview with Ms Moorcroft | catherinegaskin.com

Read the full history on behalf of this series about Middledip!

{ the Middledip series }

No.1 Starting Over (this review!)

No.2 All That Mullarkey (Book Synopsis)

No.3 Love & Freedom (Book Synopsis)

No.4 Dream a Little Dream (Book Synopsis)

No.5 Is this Love? (Book Synopsis)

Converse via: #ChocLit, #SueMoorcroft & #Middledip

To follow her Street Team key in #teamsuemoorcroft!

About Sue Moorcroft

Sue Moorcroft

Sue Moorcroft is an accomplished writer of novels and short stories, as well as a creative writing tutor. She’s also the fiction judge at Writers Forum and a regular guest on Sue Dougan’s Chat Room at BBC Radio Cambridgeshire.

Sue’s Choc Lit novels include: Starting Over, All That Mullarkey, Want to Know a Secret?, Love & Freedom, Dream a Little Dream, Is This Love? and Darcie’s Dilemma (ebook).Love & Freedom won the Festival of Romance Best Romantic Read Award 2011 and Dream a Little Dream was shortlisted for the 2013 Romantic Novel of the Year Award.

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Posted Saturday, 1 August, 2015 by jorielov in 21st Century, Blog Tour Host, Book Trailer, Bookish Films, ChocLitSaturdays, ChocLitUK, Contemporary Romance, Debilitating Diagnosis & Illness, England, Flashbacks & Recollective Memories, Indie Author, Life Shift, Loss of an unbourne child, Modern Day, Romance Fiction, Romantic Comedy, Second Chance Love, Singletons & Commitment, Small Towne Fiction, Trauma | Abuse & Recovery, Unexpected Pregnancy, Vulgarity in Literature, Women's Health, Women's Rights