Her Secret Son by Hannah Mary McKinnon

A special thank you to Edelweiss and MIRA for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Josh’s partner Grace suffers a fatal fall. He can't wallow in his grief because he is now responsible for her seven-year-old son. Even though he is not Logan's biological father, Josh is the only father he has known.

For whatever reason, Grace resisted both marrying Josh, as well as having Josh become Logan's legal guardian. She always dismissed the idea with the excuse that it was just a formality. Given that Josh can't locate any paperwork surrounding Logan's birth, he begins to wonder if Grace was hiding something and that's why she resisted making their family official.

As Josh digs deeper, it is apparent that there are many secrets Grace was hiding, each more troubling than the next.

McKinnon's latest work is taut with suspense and tension. It is a raw and heartbreaking story of a man who is desperate to not only protect his son, but to protect what innocence the boy has left after the loss of his mother.

The writing was captivating—McKinnon has an ear for dialogue which helps her create rich, layered characters with distinctive voices. I enjoyed the easy banter between Josh and his sister and their British-isms.

Of note: on page 206 of the ARC, Josh says "Besides, at some point he will need a social insurance number..." which is the Canadian version of a social security number—this hopefully will be corrected in the final book because all other instances are social security number (which is correct because the book takes place in the United States).

HANNAH MARY MCKINNON was born in the UK, grew up in Switzerland, and moved to Canada in 2010. After a successful career in recruitment, she quit the corporate world in favour of writing.

She now lives in Oakville, Ontario, with her husband and three sons.

Park Avenue Summer by Renée Rosen

A special thank you to Edelweiss and Penguin Publishing Group for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Single girl, Alice Weiss, leaves her small Midwestern town for the glitz and glamour of New York City. She lands a job with Cosmopolitan Magazine as the assistant to their bold and sassy new Editor-in-Chief, Helen Gurley Brown.

Editors and writers resigning on the spot. They are refusing to work for such a shocking woman (she wrote the scandalous bestseller Sex and the Single Girl) who dares to talk to women about taboo topics that should be off limits, not headlines on a magazine cover.

Alice's loyalty is tested when she is propositioned to sabotage her new boss. Instead, she remains steadfast and loyal, and becomes even more determined to help Helen succeed in her position at the helm. Alice is learning how to make her own way in New York City and that the modern Cosmopolitan woman can have it all.

When a book is pitched as Mad Men meets The Devil Wears Prada, you read it!

Rosen's writing was whip-smart and elegant, all the things that I loved about Mad Men. Alice was the perfect vehicle, not only was she the target audience of the magazine, but she was the perfect match to balance out Gurley Brown's impulsive and flighty whims. Both women have aspirations—Alice wants to be a photographer and Helen wants to make her mark in the male-dominated publishing industry—and Rosen shows how it is possible for women to support one another without sacrificing themselves.

Pour yourself a cosmopolitan and enjoy!

RENÉE ROSEN is a bestselling author of historical fiction. She is a native of Akron, Ohio and a graduate of The American University in Washington DC.

Rosen lives in Chicago where she is at work on a new novel.

#HarperPresents: Cocktail Mixing with Sally Thorne and Mhairi McFarlane

#HarperPresents photo source: HarperCollins Canada. Other photos by Girl Well Read—do not use without written permission.

#HarperPresents hosted an evening of mixing cocktails, discussing books, and mingling at the Ocho boutique hotel in Toronto. We learned to mix three new cocktails, listened to some great 80s music, and chatted with Mhairi McFarlane and Sally Thorne.

Sally's dress was incredible and perfectly matched the cover of her newest book, 99 Percent Mine: A Novel. Her lippy was on point, too. Mhairi looked equally as fab and was engaging, endearing, and hilarious. Her fifth book, Don't You Forget About Me, is wickedly funny and razor sharp, just like Mhairi herself.

Both books start with an existing relationship versus a relationship that blooms and builds throughout the story. In 99 Percent Mine, Darcy is a bit of a hot mess, and is hopelessly in love with the perfect man—Tom's only flaw is that he is the best friend of her twin brother. The timing has never quite worked out for Darcy and Tom, but now Tom is single and there’s a possibility that they can finally be together because there's a chance that he feels the same way about her too. The character of Tom is so loveable and Sally wants readers to fall in love with Darcy too. Don't You Forget About Me starts off with a first love relationship that ends abruptly. Crossing paths with Lucas throws Georgina's rocky present into sharp relief and brings a secret from her past bubbling to the surface. Only she knows what happened twelve years ago, and why she's allowed the memories to chase her ever since. But maybe it's not too late for the truth...or a second chance with the one that got away?

The ladies were asked about their writing process and if they plotted out their stories ahead of time and knew where the narrative was headed. Mhairi is a planner and has somewhat of her timeline down as to what is going to happen where Sally is more organic and just writes. Sally mentioned that she just kind of fell into writing. Her first novel, The Hating Game, was a smash hit. It is a snarky office-based romantic comedy that grew out of a short story she offered to write her friend for her birthday. The starting point was the word nemesis and it grew from there with Thorne visualizing Lucy and Josh sitting across from one another in an office. The novel easily flowed and took approximately six weeks to write. We all agreed it would make a great play due to the minimal scenes and witty dialogue. She went on to admit that when there was the pressure from her publisher to write book two, that things didn't flow as easily.

Normally at author events I'm madly scribbling down notes so I can share all the good bits, but I found myself front and centre with a cocktail in my hand so I simply enjoyed being present in the moment. Thank you HarperCollins Canada, Mhairi, and Sally for such a fabulous evening.

99 Percent Mine

Crush (n.): a strong and often short-lived infatuation, particularly for someone beyond your reach…

Darcy Barrett has undertaken a global survey of men. She’s travelled the world, and can categorically say that no one measures up to Tom Valeska, whose only flaw is that Darcy’s twin brother Jamie saw him first and claimed him forever as his best friend. Despite Darcy’s best efforts, Tom’s off limits and loyal to her brother, 99%. That’s the problem with finding her dream man at age eight and peaking in her photography career at age twenty—ever since, she’s had to learn to settle for good enough.

When Darcy and Jamie inherit a tumble-down cottage from their grandmother, they’re left with strict instructions to bring it back to its former glory and sell the property. Darcy plans to be in an aisle seat halfway across the ocean as soon as the renovations start, but before she can cut and run, she finds a familiar face on her porch: house-flipper extraordinaire Tom’s arrived, he’s bearing power tools, and he’s single for the first time in almost a decade.

Suddenly Darcy’s considering sticking around to make sure her twin doesn’t ruin the cottage’s inherent magic with his penchant for grey and chrome. She’s definitely not staying because of her new business partner’s tight t-shirts, or that perfect face that's inspiring her to pick up her camera again. Soon sparks are flying—and it’s not the faulty wiring. It turns out one percent of Tom’s heart might not be enough for Darcy anymore. This time around, she’s switching things up. She’s going to make Tom Valeska 99 percent hers.

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SALLY THORNE believes that romance readers are always searching for intensity in their next favourite book—and it isn't always so easy to find. The Hating Game was her first novel.

Thorne lives in Canberra, Australia.

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Don't You Forget About Me

It began with four words.

‘I love your laugh. x’

But that was twelve years ago. It really began the day Georgina was fired from The Worst Restaurant in Sheffield (© Tripadvisor) and found The Worst Boyfriend in the World (© Georgina’s best friends) in bed with someone else.

So when her new boss, Lucas McCarthy, turns out to be the boy who wrote those words to her all that time ago, it feels like the start of something.

The only problem? He doesn’t seem to remember Georgina – at all…

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MHAIRI MCFARLANE is a Sunday Times bestselling author from Scotland. McFarlane has written four books.

Her name is actually pronounced Vah-Ree and she lives in Nottingham. 

I'm Fine and Neither Are You by Camille Pagán

A special thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"Close female friendships are built one secret at a time."

Penelope Ruiz-Kai is doing it all—with little to no help from her husband—working, mothering, housekeeping and cooking. Her best friend, Jenny, is one of those women that seems to do it all and makes it look easy. From an outside perspective, it would appear that Jenny is incredibly well-put-together will her Instagram worthy home, adoring husband, well-behaved child, and popular lifestyle blog, whereas Penny's house is always upside-down, her husband is barely working, her children are unruly, and her career is unfulfilling.

When a shocking tragedy pulls back the curtain on Jenny's life and all is not as it appears, Penelope is rocked to the core. She decides that she can no longer keep quiet about the issues that are plaguing her marriage. She and her husband, Sanjay, decide to make a list of changes they want the other person to make and above all, commit to being totally honest with one another.

At first the idea seems to be a good one as it forces the couple to actually talk to one another. But then things take a turn for the worst when secrets are revealed and tensions flare. As Penny struggles with the very real possibility that this could actually end her marriage versus save it, she questions if honesty really is the best policy...

Pagán's novel is an exploration into the intricacies of marriage, and how fragile relationships are. It is a comment on commitment, and how easy it is for women to lose themselves when they become a wife/mother. Balancing a career, family, and marriage is a difficult feat in itself and Penny also has the added stress of an ailing parent and dealing with a monumental tragedy. The story also examines how destructive the lies are that we tell each other and ourselves in order to keep up the facade of happiness, and how facing the truth is never easy, but necessary to save one's self.

The writing was absolutely captivating with Pagán striking the right balance of humour and emotion. There are times when the story is so raw and heartbreaking, and I found the novel completely real and relatable.

Penny was such an interesting character—she is flawed, yet the most enlightened because her perception was challenged as a result of a monumental loss. Jenny was also incredibly relevant because of the digital age we are living in. Many women use social media as the lens to view their lives through which is incredibly damaging to their self worth. It is hard enough being a woman, you don't need to compare yourself with another woman's best versions of themselves—these versions are filtered, edited, and fractured reality.

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CAMILLE PAGÁN is the #1 Amazon Kindle bestselling author of five novels, including Life and Other Near-Death Experiences, which was recently optioned for film. Her books have been translated into more than a dozen languages. A journalist and former magazine editor, Pagán has written for the New York Times, The Oprah Magazine, Time and many others.

Pagán lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan, with her family.

How to Talk to Black People by A. Anon

A special thank you to NetGalley and Kindle for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Can someone really see the errors of what they were taught and subsequently break through the boundaries that they have inflicted on others?  

Ivy lives in a trailer park with her drunk mother and is suffocated by the death of her father. Along with her second-hand wardrobe, she also wears a chip on her shoulder. Her only and best friend is the quirky and lovable Magnus who also happens to live in the trailer park with his grandmother after the death of his parents. 

There's a new student this year and he's quite impressive—Alex is smart, good-looking and fit. His mother is an award-winning surgeon and his dad was a famous basketball player. Ivy thinks she's hit the jackpot when she finds out that Alex is her lab partner. He's her ticket to an easy A.

But high school is a cruel place when you don't fit in. Ivy is trailer trash, Magnus is misunderstood, and Alex is the only black kid in the entire school. When the year is up, one of them won't see graduation.

How to Talk to Black People is an in-your-face look at how we view race, how we participate in racism, and how we need to be the catalyst for change. It is a challenge to its reader to do better, be better, and to set a better example. 

The note to the reader from the author, as well as the character Letitia, were the most compelling parts of the story. Leticia's poise, grace, and wisdom were both insightful and refreshing given the challenges the author seemed to have with the rest of the writing and by extension, the characters. At times the dialogue was clunky and awkward and it took away from the narrative. 

Understandably, the reader is not supposed to like Ivy—it wasn't so much that I didn't like her, I didn't like the way she was written and felt that this was some of the weakest writing from the author.  Magnus on the other hand was endearing and reminded me of Duckie from Pretty in Pink, projecting a gay vibe but secretly crushing on his best friend.

Where the author was most successful was with their intent. Writing from one perspective, Ivy's, was effective because all of the focus is on the messages, and there's a lot to unpack. The author doesn't shy away from how they present these weighty topics of racism and classism. 

My hope is that the finished product is more polished. In the note to the reader, the author seemed a bit defensive in regards to suggestions by a publishing professional to tone down Ivy and I have to agree.  I'm not suggesting that Ivy be changed to be more palatable—I think the author is trying to make their audience uncomfortable on purpose so that the reader is forced to examine their own actions/self. My ask is for the author to be more open to suggestion because the work is rough and there are characters that need work. These things detract from the story instead of enhance it.

Girly Book Club Presents: #StrongWomen Read Featuring Pam Jenoff, Molly Fader, and Hannah Mary McKinnon

Photo credit: Girl Well Read.  Do not use without written permission.

Girly Book Club presented #StrongWomenRead featuring Pam Jenoff (The Lost Girls of Paris), Molly Fader (The McAvoy Sisters Book of Secrets), and Hannah Mary McKinnon (Her Secret Son) at the Bay Adelaide Centre in downtown Toronto. The proceeds of the event went to the Canadian Women's Foundation.

Besides the fabulous food, beverages, and spectacular view, there was a chat with the authors followed by a Q&A and book signing.

The theme of evening was #StrongWomenRead and the ladies spoke about what that means to them

Hannah Mary McKinnon said that it was her maternal grandmother that inspired her reading, as well as credits her parents.

Molly Fader mentioned Carolyn Keene (Nancy Drew series) as well as her mother who read her fairy tales.

Pam Jenoff has always been a reader—as a child, it was Judy Blume that inspired her. She told a story about how twenty years ago she wrote to Blume asking her for writing advice to which Blume responded. Twenty years to the day, she happen to meet Judy Blume at her book store!

How has your life influenced your books?

Molly Fader says "Romance, how you are telling a woman's story," and that "love and sex are an important part."

Hannah Mary McKinnon is a plotter, not a pantser (a plotter is someone who plans/plots out their novel before writing, and a pantser is someone who flies by the seat of their pants) and that her business side has also helped with being more of a structured writer.

Pam Jenoff credits her legal background—she brings the revision skills she learned as a lawyer to her writing.

#StrongWomenRead - What would you say to a young girl about this?

Pam Jenoff said that it is like #metoo, empowering women.

Molly Fader thinks that young girls should show each other compassion and ultimately show yourself compassion—compassion won’t fail you.

Hannah Mary McKinnon said that you can "be quietly strong, and that’s okay."

Do you write every day?

Pam is part of the 5 am club—she's up and writing in short, 45 minute sprints.

Hannah structures herself by using her deadline and working backwards. She "chunks draft manuscript and expands."

How did you become a writer?

Pam Jenoff had an epiphany and that was 9/11. She had just became a lawyer and had begun practicing law only one week earlier and knew that she didn't want to die a lawyer. Jenoff took a night course and started writing. She bootstrapped her first two books together and went from there.

Molly Fader used support networks and writing groups.

Hannah Mary McKinnon took a course. She published her first book with a great premise, but bad structure. From there, she invested in an Editor and spoke about how invaluable their advice is. She too joined writing groups and took courses. McKinnon said that it is "scary to share your work, but you need the critical feedback and that without it, you are missing opportunities to learn" and also, "your first draft is meant to suck."

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The Lost Girls of Paris

An emotional story of friendship and betrayal during the second world war, inspired by true events.

With the world at war, Eleanor Trigg leads a mysterious ring of female secret agents in London. Twelve of these women are sent to aid the resistance. They never return home.

1946 Manhattan. Passing through Grand Central Station, New York, Grace Healey finds an abandoned suitcase tucked beneath a bench. The case is filled with a dozen photographs, each of a different woman. Setting out to find the women behind the pictures, Grace is drawn into the mystery of the lost girls of Paris. And as she delves deeper into the secrets of the past, she uncovers a story of fierce friendship, unthinkable bravery - and, ultimately, the worst kind of betrayal.

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PAM JENOFF is a New York Times bestselling author of several novels including The Kommandant's Girl, which received widespread acclaim, earned her a nomination for the Quill Awards and became an international bestseller.

She previously served as a Foreign Service Officer for the U.S. State Department in Europe, as the Special Assistant to the Secretary of the Army at the Pentagon and as a practicing attorney.

Jenoff received her juris doctor from the University of Pennsylvania, her masters degree in history from Cambridge University and her bachelors degree in international affairs from The George Washington University.

Pam lives with her husband and three children near Philadelphia where, in addition to writing, she teaches law school at Rutgers.

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The McAvoy Sisters Book of Secrets

It’s been seventeen years since the tragic summer the McAvoy sisters fell apart. Lindy, the wild one, left home, carved out a new life in the city and never looked back. Delia, the sister who stayed, became a mother herself, raising her daughters and running the family shop in their small Ohio hometown on the shores of Lake Erie.

But now, with their mother’s ailing health and a rebellious teenager to rein in, Delia has no choice but to welcome Lindy home. As the two sisters try to put their family back in order, they finally have the chance to reclaim what’s been lost over the years: for Delia, professional dreams and a happy marriage, and for Lindy, a sense of home and an old flame—and best of all, each other. But when one turbulent night leads to a shocking revelation, the women must face the past they’ve avoided for a decade. And there’s nothing like an old secret to bring the McAvoy women back together and stronger than ever.

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MOLLY FADER is an award-winning author of more than 40 romance novels under the pennames Molly O'Keefe and M. O'Keefe. The McAvoy Sisters Book of Secrets is her first women's fiction novel.

She grew up outside of Chicago and now lives in Toronto.

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Her Secret Son

Josh’s partner Grace suffers a fatal fall. He can't wallow in his grief because he is now responsible for her seven-year-old son. Even though he is not Logan's biological father, Josh is the only father he has known.

For whatever reason, Grace resisted both marrying Josh, as well as having Josh become Logan's legal guardian. She always dismissed the idea with the excuse that it was just a formality. Given that Josh can't locate any paperwork surrounding Logan's birth, he begins to wonder if Grace was hiding something and that's why she resisted making their family official.

As Josh digs deeper, it is apparent that there are many secrets Grace was hiding, each more troubling than the next.

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HANNAH MARY MCKINNON was born in the UK, grew up in Switzerland, and moved to Canada in 2010. After a successful career in recruitment, she quit the corporate world in favour of writing.

She now lives in Oakville, Ontario, with her husband and three sons.