The Anti-Boyfriend by Penelope Ward Release Blitz!!

 

Title: The Anti-Boyfriend

Author: Penelope Ward

Genre: Standalone Contemporary Romance

Release Date: August 31, 2020

Blurb

From New York Times bestselling author Penelope Ward, comes a new standalone novel.

At first, my neighbor Deacon frustrated me.

Sure, he was great-looking and friendly.

But our walls were thin, and on occasion, he’d bring women to his place and keep me awake while he “entertained” them.

As a single mother to an infant, I didn’t appreciate it.

So, finally it was my turn.

When my daughter wouldn’t stop wailing one night, Mr. Manwhore came knocking on my door.

Miraculously, at the sound of his voice, Sunny stopped crying. And when he held her…she eventually fell asleep in his arms.

Deacon was rough on the exterior, but apparently on the inside? Mr. Single-and-Ready-to-Mingle was a baby whisperer.

After that night, we became friends.

He’d go for coffee runs. Come over to chat. Normal friend stuff.

But over time, our conversations ran deeper. We got closer.

Until one night we crossed the line.

Our friendship turned into a complicated mess.

I’d gone and fallen for a guy who’d sworn off commitment and kids.

I knew Deacon was starting to care for me too, even though Sunny and I didn’t fit into any plan he’d ever imagined for himself.

He was wrong for me—so wrong that I’d dubbed him the “anti-boyfriend.”

Then why did I wish more than anything that I could be the one woman to change him?

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Author Bio

Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of contemporary romance.

She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor. Penelope resides in Rhode Island with her husband, son, and beautiful daughter with autism.

With over two million books sold, she is a 21-time New York Times bestseller and the author of over twenty novels. Her books have been translated into over a dozen languages and can be found in bookstores around the world.

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Stranger in the Lake by Kimberly Belle

 

Publication: June 9, 2020

Publisher: Park Row/Harlequin

Source: Publisher

 

 

Synopsis: 

 

Charlotte didn’t know her greatest risk was saying, “I do.”

When Charlotte married the wealthy widower Paul, it caused a ripple of gossip in their small lakeside town. They have a charmed life together, despite the cruel whispers about her humble past and his first marriage. But everything starts to unravel when she discovers a young woman’s body floating in the exact same spot where Paul’s first wife tragically drowned.

At first, it seems like a horrific coincidence, but the stranger in the lake is no stranger. Charlotte saw Paul talking to her the day before, even though Paul tells the police he’s never met the woman. His lie exposes cracks in their fragile new marriage, cracks Charlotte is determined to keep from breaking them in two. 

As Charlotte uncovers dark mysteries about the man she married, she doesn’t know what to trust—her heart, which knows Paul to be a good man, or her growing suspicion that there’s something he’s hiding in the water.

 

 

******

I've been in such a weird book funk lately, so I was very surprised when I not only read, but devoured Stranger in the Lake by Kimberly Belle. 

 

The story is told from the main character, Charlotte’s POV. I really liked Charlotte. I thought she was interesting and likeable. It was easy to understand her reasoning for marrying her husband even though the townspeople didn’t. 

The mystery was not easily guessed, which I was happy about. Some of the characters did make some odd choices though, so I started second-guessing almost everyone. It made it harder for me to guess who the real culprit was. 

This is the second book that I've read by this author and I really enjoyed it. It was a quick and entertaining read. And it didn't take long for things to start happening in the book. There were several surprises and twists to the story, and I enjoyed discovering each and every one of them. Like her previous book, Dear Wife, Kimberly Belle has created a story that is intriguing and grabbed my interest from the very first chapter. I am looking forward to seeing what she comes up with next.  

 

 

 

 

 

RATING:  3½ OUT OF 5.

 

 

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Archetype by M.D. Waters

Publication: February 6, 2014

Publisher: Penguin/Dutton Adult

Introducing a breathtakingly inventive futuristic suspense novel about one woman who rebels against everything she is told to believe. Emma wakes in a hospital, with no memory of what came before. Her husband, Declan, a powerful, seductive man, provides her with new memories, but her dreams contradict his stories, showing her a past life she can’t believe possible: memories of war, of a camp where girls are trained to be wives, of love for another man. Something inside her tells her not to speak of this, but she does not know why. She only knows she is at war with herself. Suppressing those dreams during daylight hours, Emma lets Declan mold her into a happily married woman and begins to fall in love with him. But the day Noah stands before her, the line between her reality and dreams shatters. In a future where women are a rare commodity, Emma fights for freedom but is held captive by the love of two men—one her husband, the other her worst enemy. If only she could remember which is which. . . . The first novel in a two-part series, Archetype heralds the arrival of a truly memorable character—and the talented author who created her.

What can I say about Archetype? The premise sounded interesting when I first read it. I mean I thought that I would like it, but I was unprepared for how much I ended up enjoying it. Even when I put the book down to go about my day, I was still thinking about the story and its characters. I loved it.

Emma is a 26 year old woman who lives in a world were roughly a hundred years ago a war erupted. Women in the west are free to live their life whereas women who live in the east like Emma are few and far between. Women are only considered worth marrying if they are fertile and men are desperate to claim and manipulate them.

Emma is such a fighter. I loved that about her. She goes along with some things, but she does ask questions and she is relentless when it comes to finding out about her past and who she is.

Just when I thought I knew what was going on or what was about to happen, turned out I was wrong. I think that is the re-occurring theme in this book. Expect the unexpected. There were plenty of twists and turns to keep me on my toes. I don’t want to reveal too much, because this is a book where you will want to discover things for yourself.

Archetype is the very first futuristic science fiction suspense/thriller story-line that I have ever read. I am glad I decided to try something a little new and different. Everything flowed at a great pace. The flashbacks of Emma’s past and the goings-on of her present didn’t confuse me even a little bit and I enjoyed getting to know Emma’s life. Pieces were sprinkled in, little by little until I began to see the bigger picture.  And that ending? Left me wanting more…like now. Thankfully the second and last book in this series, Prototype releases July 24, 2014. Not too long of a wait.

Readers who enjoy Futuristic Sci-Fi Thrillers will like this one.

RATING: 5 out of 5.

**I received this book on behalf of the Publisher in exchange for nothing but my honest opinion. Thank you**

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The Silent Wife: A Novel by A.S.A. Harrison

Publication: June 25, 2013

Publisher: Penguin Books

A chilling psychological thriller about a marriage, a way of life, and how far one woman will go to keep what is rightfully hers Jodi and Todd are at a bad place in their marriage. Much is at stake, including the affluent life they lead in their beautiful waterfront condo in Chicago, as she, the killer, and he, the victim, rush haplessly toward the main event. He is a committed cheater. She lives and breathes denial. He exists in dual worlds. She likes to settle scores. He decides to play for keeps. She has nothing left to lose. Told in alternating voices, The Silent Wife is about a marriage in the throes of dissolution, a couple headed for catastrophe, concessions that can’t be made, and promises that won’t be kept. Expertly plotted and reminiscent of Gone Girl and These Things Hidden, The Silent Wife ensnares the reader from page one and does not let go.

 Jodi and Todd have been married for 20 years. They do not have what you might call a typical marriage. They do have great jobs, a gorgeous home, expensive clothes, nice things, friends, etc…By all accounts they appear to be the perfect couple with a great life. But things aren’t always what they seem. Especially in this story.  

Jodi loves the life she has. She knows it is not perfect, but she likes that to others her marriage has the appearance of being perfect. She knows that Todd cheats on her. And as long as he doesn’t embarrass her in public she allows him to continue in his dalliances. But there was something that she did not count on. Todd starting a relationship with a younger woman who just might give him something that Jodi has not.

Todd may be determined to leave his marriage, but Jodi…Jodi is equally if not more so determined to keep him in it. She craves control and she will not be made a fool of. And she sets in motion a plan to ensure that she has her way…

I liked how this story was told from not only Jodi, but Todd’s point of view as well. So I was able to understand where they both were coming from and what their motives were…for the most part.

The Silent Wife is an attention grabbing story filled with plenty of lies, manipulation, and secrets. Not to mention unlikeable/despised characters that frustrated me at times to no end and thankfully I could not relate to them at all. I can honestly say that this book was very entertaining and I was still thinking about it after I finished it.

If suspense/thriller stories with unconventional marriages and deceitful characters are your thing, then this book is right up your alley.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

 

**I received this book on behalf of Penguin Books in exchange for nothing but my honest opinion. Thank you.**

 

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Book Review: Amity & Sorrow by Peggy Riley

Synopsis:

A mother and her daughters drive for days without sleep until they crash their car in rural Oklahoma. The mother, Amaranth, is desperate to get away from someone she's convinced will follow them wherever they go--her husband. The girls, Amity and Sorrow, can't imagine what the world holds outside their father's polygamous compound. Rescue comes in the unlikely form of Bradley, a farmer grieving the loss of his wife. At first unwelcoming to these strange, prayerful women, Bradley's abiding tolerance gets the best of him, and they become a new kind of family. An unforgettable story of belief and redemption, AMITY & SORROW is about the influence of community and learning to stand on your own.

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I have always had a bit of an interest in cults. But this is the very first time I have read a book pertaining to them. I am glad that I gave this one a try. It was different than my normal reads, but in a good way.

The story interchanged from the past to the present to show what lead Amity and Sorrows’ mom, Amaranth to join the polygamous cult they were in and what promoted her years later to finally make the big decision to pick up and leave.

Amity and Sorrow’s previous life on the farm restricted their ability to do a lot. Because of this it’s pretty understandable that they would struggle with trying to fit into the new modern world they have been thrown into. 

Amity is loyal to a fault when it comes to her sister. Even though it’s a struggle, she seemed more willing to try and forge a new life for herself.

Sorrow is supposed to be the special and chosen one from her community. Forced to leave everything behind, she still did not want to give her past life up. She wanted to go back to her old life and the way things were because that was all she knew.

My only big issue was that I felt like Amaranth should have done something sooner than she had originally. I thought she waited too late.

Amity & Sorrow is a slow and steady paced novel that was easy to read through; but it is not a light story by any means. It has some dark, sad, and definitely heart tugging moments.

The writing style was for lack of a better word…different. But it did not stop me from enjoying the story and less. I wasn’t terribly happy with the ending though, but Amity & Sorrow turned out to be a nice change of pace for me. I liked it.

Rating: 3½ out of 5.

  

**I received this book on behalf of Little, Brown and Company in exchange for nothing, but my honest opinion. Thank you**

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The Unwanted Wife by Natasha Anders

From Goodreads:

All Alessandro de Lucci wants from his wife is a son but after a year and a half of unhappiness and disillusionment, all Theresa de Lucci wants from her ice cold husband is a divorce. Unfortunate timing, since Theresa is about to discover that she’s finally pregnant and Alessandro is about to discover that he isn’t willing to lose Theresa.

*******************************************************

Chemistry was a terrible thing, sometimes it simply sparked between the wrong people.

-Natasha Anders, The Unwanted Wife

Theresa has been married to Alessandro (Sandro) just shy of two years. Their marriage is not your typical marriage though. There is no real love or affection, or any of the fundamental elements required in a relationship. Theresa was mesmerized by Alessandro from the first moment she laid eyes on him, but Sandro oftentimes acts like he resents her and treats her very coldly.

Theresa’s father is a wealthy and powerful man who forced her into the marriage and she, being naïve and hopelessly in love with Sandro just went along with it. She kind of went into things with blinders on; hoping that things would get better with time. I liked Theresa, but I questioned why she married Alessandro in first place. If things started to change or he started to react to her in a different way even before the marriage began, then why did she not call it off or at least make an attempt to?

Things start to change in their household when she makes the decision to finally stand up for herself and no longer be a doormat. Even though to me it took Theresa too long to become fed up and reach the point of not letting Alessandro walk all over her. I am glad she eventually did make that decision. Her standing up for herself made Sandro take notice almost immediately. She made him see the things he was doing wrong and called him out on it. Things did not automatically become a bed of roses for them afterwards though. They struggle to get along and try to make things work. And after Theresa becomes pregnant, she knows Sandro will leave after the baby is born. But leaving Sandro proves to be a difficult task, especially since Sandro tries to convince her of his commitment. But after all of the heartache and lies, Theresa cannot decide if she should believe Sandro and if he is worth taking a risk on again.

What I did not like:

Theresa gave in to Sandro very quickly at times. He is a handsome man with a great body, I understand that. But one look at his half, partially, or naked body or being in close proximity to him and she would just melt. I kept thinking enough already, don't give into the temptation so easily.

Final thoughts:

The Unwanted Wife took me on a bit of an emotional journey. I could feel Theresa’s pain and self-doubt as she dealt with Alessandro. The story moved at an easy pace. It was not one of those books that I just could not put down, but when I stating reading, it did hold my interest. The characters and their lives felt real. I enjoyed it. If you enjoy emotional/angsty romance reads, then I would recommend The Unwanted Wife.

Rating: 3 ½ out of 5.

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