He Started It by Samantha Downing

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

In order to claim their inheritance, the Morgan siblings must recreate the cross-country road trip they took 20 years ago with their grandfather and scatter his ashes.

Beth (the narrator), Portia, and Eddie haven't spent much time together in the last few years. Now they are being forced together in order to carry out the last wishes of their grandfather. The siblings—along with Beth's husband, Felix, and Eddie's new wife, Krista—are less than thrilled to be revisiting all of the cheesy tourist spots and seedy motels from their past. But money is a powerful motivator, especially when there are millions at stake.

When they notice that they are being followed by a black pickup, Beth can't help but wonder if it is someone from their past coming back to haunt them because they all have secrets and something to hide.

Do you think it is a coincidence that the family last name is Morgan, like as in Dexter Morgan? This is just one of the million crazy random thoughts that went through my mind while reading the juggernaut thriller He Started It.

Once again, Downing excels at character development. The siblings are diabolical, and the reader will have a love/hate relationship with them. She also has an incredible ear for dialogue. With her taught and tense writing, I never knew what was around the bend and always felt like I was a step behind.

Put on your seatbelt, you are in for one crazy road trip! And that ending, gah! Once again, Downing blew my damn mind!

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SAMANTHA DOWNING hails from San Rafael, California. Her debut, My Lovely Wife, is described as "Mr. and Mrs. Smith meets Dexter."

She currently lives in New Orleans.

#HarperPresents: An Evening with Kelly Rimmer

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

#HarperPresents hosted an evening with Kelly Rimmer at their beautiful office in downtown Toronto at the Bay Adelaide Centre.

Kelly came all the way from Australia to talk about her new novel, Truths I Never Told You, and was interviewed by Kristi Reilly, Indigo's head fiction buyer.

Do you find your writing process has changed from book one to now, book ten?

"It has. Yes," Kelly said. "So I very quickly figured out that I'm not the kind of writer that can just start writing and hope for the best. I really am the kind of person who needs to plan out what is going to unfold."

Some of her author friends don't have any kind outline and just kind of "pop out their books" and that's not how she works. Kelly submits a very long outline, she's definitely more of a planner.

How far in advance are you at the planning stage before you get to the book stage?

Before Kelly writes the first part of the book, she knows what is going to happen however, this book was kind of unique because she couldn't figure out how to join up the various elements (postpartum depression, referendum that happened in Seattle, and a complicated family dynamic). But it finally came together when she was out walking her dogs. Kelly was listening to a podcast when the missing piece came to her—the podcast was about dementia—so she raced home and twenty minutes later had her outline. "And what is in the book is pretty much what is in the outline. That doesn't always happen and that makes this book a bit special."

She also drew upon her own siblings for inspiration. They are very close and devoted to each other, but when they are all together they give each other "a bit of ribbing."

What do you find interesting about exploring stories that take place in the past?

This is Kelly's third historical fiction book (she has written a lot of contemporary novels).

Ideas are more interesting to her versus writing about a specific era. She wanted Truths I Never Told You to be about the ways that expectations of women had changed over the years (or not) and what it was like between WWII and the pill being readily available.

When Kelly was researching the book, she was at a dinner party where a discussion took place about how the pill has impacted women socially and culturally, and how contraception has changed the lives of women in general.  The actual topic itself is what she found fascinating, and the time period just happens to be historical.

Is historical fiction a genre you read yourself?

Kelly is attracted to covers, especially historical fiction covers because they are "glamorous and eye-catching." She said that she is more drawn to the concepts and covers versus a particular genre.

Although the book takes place in years past, the story is applicable today and feels more familiar and relatable than other historical fiction. Was that intentional?

"Yes. So part of the reason for the dual timelines, the 1996 narrative is a much more familiar setting to us and not a lot has actually changed in terms of mental health since 1996 compared to 1959. So we are talking about it a bit more but... And 1996 is actually when postpartum depression was recognized as a specific disorder. We have a name for it now, we know that it is a medical thing. So we've made made steps in the right direction, but we still have such a long way to go."

Today is #BellLetsTalk day in Canada—it is all about destigmatizing mental illness. Obviously postpartum depression plays a huge part in Truths I Never Told You, did you end in 1996 because so much has changed?

"If you had asked me that question before I did the research for the book, I probably would have said yes!"

Before sending the first draft off to her editor, she was reading it over and the "heart" was missing. Kelly put a call out on her personal Facebook asking if anyone would like to share their stories of postpartum depression with her, or know someone that would. There were so many responses that she couldn't interview them all. This included some of her closest friends—they were suffering in front of her and she didn't even know.

"One in five women have postpartum depression after a birth. I didn't not realize how immediate that pain was in my own circle, in my own life. Things have changed, but not enough."

The family support in the book and the family dynamic was a huge part of it. You spoke about how your siblings very much mirrored the siblings. Were there direct comparison between the people you wrote about and the people in your life?

"No. That would be good a test though," Kelly quipped. She wanted to write about a family that are all successful in their own way. Education was very important to them growing up because their father had raised them to value education.

The closeness and playfulness is what is based on her siblings.

You also mentioned that there might not have been as much progress in women's mental health, is there anything that you found either particularly shocking in the past, or particularly shocking because we haven't made a lot of progress today?

"Something that I hadn't thought about until I was writing the book is the stories that we tell ourselves about motherhood." Social media paints an unrealistic picture of motherhood and family—that's it's a happy ever after when in fact, it's really hard work. People are suffering on their own because they can't share their own reality and experience. She hadn't considered the shame surrounding this.

"There's parts of our lives that we don't share freely, and some of that is because we are each individuals. But some of that is because, I think, is that we have a picture of how it should be and if it doesn't match up, we don't ask if that's how it is for other people."

Isolation was the common thread through all of the interviews that she conducted. It was the loneliness that came up again and again, and it blew her away.

Do you have a favourite word or phrase?

"I definitely abuse some. And very, very good copyeditors take them out before you see them," Kelly said laughing. Words that represent family, love, connection and affection—warm words that capture that softness between us are are probably her favourite.

As this is your tenth book, did you find this one was easier or harder to write compared to others?

"Every new book is a new chance to fail," Kelly said laughing. "Every time a new book comes out, you are exposing some whole new piece of work. I understand my own process a little bit better now, but I don't think the writing is getting any easier. Every new book is a new challenge. It's still hard. It's still scary."

After ten books, is there one that is your favourite, or that you are most proud of?

"It's usually the one I've just finished! There is one that does stand out: The Things We Cannot Say." Kelly had wanted to write it for a decade and it is inspired by her grandparents. Although she admitted all of her books are all special in their own way.

Truths I Never Told You releases April 14th in Canada.

Truths I Never Told You

From the bestselling author of The Things We Cannot Say comes a poignant novel about the fault in memories and the lies that can bond a family together—or tear it apart.

With her father recently moved to a care facility for his worsening dementia, Beth Walsh volunteers to clear out the family home and is surprised to discover the door to her childhood playroom padlocked. She’s even more shocked at what’s behind it—a hoarder’s mess of her father’s paintings, mounds of discarded papers and miscellaneous junk in the otherwise fastidiously tidy house.

As she picks through the clutter, she finds a loose journal entry in what appears to be her late mother’s handwriting. Beth and her siblings grew up believing their mother died in a car accident when they were little more than toddlers, but this note suggests something much darker. Beth soon pieces together a disturbing portrait of a woman suffering from postpartum depression and a husband who bears little resemblance to the loving father Beth and her siblings know. With a newborn of her own and struggling with motherhood, Beth finds there may be more tying her and her mother together than she ever suspected.

Exploring the expectations society places on women of every generation, Kelly Rimmer explores the profound struggles two women unwittingly share across the decades set within an engrossing family mystery that may unravel everything they believed to be true.

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KELLY RIMMER is the USA Today bestselling women's fiction author of ten books that have been translated into more than 20 language.

Rimmer lives in rural Australia with her family and fantastically naughty dogs, Sully and Basil.

The Honey-Don't List by Christina Lauren

A special thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Melissa and Rusty trip are a dynamic power couple with their home and design business. They are broadcast into homes across the country with New Spaces, their home renovation TV show. With another show premiering, and a book launching, the Tripps are on the verge of being the next Chip and Joanna Gaines. But there is only one problem: America's new favourite couple can't actually stand each other.

Carey Douglas is Melissa's right hand. She's been working for them since their first store opened nearly a decade ago. It's an understatement to say she's got her hands full with Melly.

James McCann, an MIT graduate, was hired on as a structural engineer. But he's not really doing any engineering, and the job isn't what he thought.

Both James and Carey are summonsed to go on the Tripp's book tour. It is their job to basically babysit Rusty and Melly, ensuring that keeping up the facade. They are both stuck because they both need their jobs—Carey needs the health insurance, and James has been promised a higher profile role. They vow to keep everyone playing nice in order to keep their bosses' secrets as well as their jobs. But there's an attraction brewing between them...is it their turn to build a life instead of constructing one for their employers?

My first Christina Lauren book was Twice in a Blue Moon and then I devoured Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating (which was my favourite so far). So when NetGalley came a callin' with this one, I was all over it. Until I wasn't.

Let me explain... The duo that are Christina Lauren are a gift! I completely understand why they are so popular and have legions of fans (including me). I get it, I really do. But...this book fell completely flat in the romance department. And what I mean by that is that I don't think the romantic storyline was given enough legs. It was completely derailed by the drama surrounding the Tripps—it didn't feel fresh and I don't know whether it is because home improvement shows are saturating the specialty channels, or because society has an obsession with reality TV, but I struggled to maintain interest in Rusty and Melissa's story. And quite frankly, I didn't care enough about them.

I was also confused at the genre, I assume it's classified as "romance," but there was this mystery/thriller vibe with the police interviews that were dispersed throughout the book and I wasn't sure where that was going and thought that someone died.

Christina Lauren, I wanted more! More romance, more spark, more attraction, more banter, more tension, not more Tripps with their over-the-top antics and ridiculous book tour.

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CHRISTINA LAUREN is the combined pen name of bestselling authors and best friends, Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings. 

The Regrets by Amy Bonnaffons

A special thank you to Hachette Book Group Canada, Little Brown and Company, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rachel Starr is the girl with the bright red lipstick and glasses. She's a reference librarian from Brooklyn. For weeks, she's been noticing the same melancholy guy sitting at her bus stop. Finally mustering up some courage, Rachel introduces herself and the two have unquestionable chemistry. Thomas Barrett is smart and funny and handsome. But there's one tiny problem: he's dead.

Thomas is stuck in a surreal limbo where he is unable to cross over to the afterlife. As per the bureaucracy, he has to complete a 90-day stint on earth under the condition that he is not to get involved with any member of the living—lest he incur "regrets." When Thomas and Rachel break this rule, they unleash a torrent of consequences.

The Regrets is a surreal love story and unlike anything I have read. It is quirky and weird, but it works. Bonnaffons comment on dying—with or without regrets—is dark, but light and playful.

The writing is beautiful and haunting, Bonnaffons is also surprisingly witty. Sex was paramount to the story, not just the act itself, but that it is fragile and intimate. It is also a form of connection.

There are some incredibly long passages with little to no dialogue, and sometimes this was difficult to slog through. I did feel that the first half was stronger and then my attention started to wane.

A love affair between the living and the dead, The Regrets is a novel about life, death, regrets, and the power of love.

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AMY BONNAFFONS' work has appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and the Kenyon Review. She holds an MFA from NYU and is pursuing a PhD at the University of Georgia.

Bonnaffons currently lives in Athens, Georgia. 

The Antidote for Everything by Kimmery Martin

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

Georgia Brown and her best friend, Jonah Tsukada, are both doctors. They have an incredible bond and are not only devoted to each other, but to their patients.

Usually unlucky in love, Georgia meets Mark, a handsome businessman, on her way to a work conference. They are on a flight together and she ends up saving his life. Even though they have undeniable chemistry, Georgia is distracted—she recently found out that Jonah is at the centre of a controversy. The church-funded hospital where they work is instructing their doctors to stop treating transgendered patients. Georgia is stunned when Jonah, a gay man, is fired for refusing to abandon his patients. In her attempt to defuse the situation, Georgia actually causes more harm.

Jonah and Georgia need to decide what's more important: their patients or their careers.

My feelings on The Antidote for Everything are mixed. The storyline grapples with some heavier topics (depression, homophobia, human rights) and had potential, but I didn't connect with the characters and I really wanted to. Georgia is a strong, successful woman with a demanding job in a male-dominated field, but personality wise was rather unrelatable. The romantic relationship seemed like an afterthought and ended up feeling like a totally separate story.

Emma and Zadie from The Queen of Hearts made cameos. I love when authors do this!

There was enough medical jargon for authenticity, and what I like about Martin (I've noted this before) is that she doesn't dumb anything down. Instead, she elevates her reader, but not enough so that readers are left confused, or worse, disinterested. There are some pretty vivid and graphic descriptions, but if you can stomach medical dramas on TV, you won't be phased and this will be right up your alley.

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KIMMERY MARTIN is still a practicing physician in addition to being an author. She is a lifelong literary nerd who enjoys reviewing books and interviewing authors. Her debut was Queen of Hearts.

Martin resides in Charlotte, North Caroline with her husband and three children.

American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins

A special thank you to Libro.fm and Macmillan Audio for an audiobook listening copy.

The novel opens with one of the best hooks I've ever read: in a neighbourhood in Acapulco, gunmen open fire and murder 16 people at a family barbecue. Lydia and her eight-year-old son, Luca, survived because they were hiding in the shower at the time of the attack.

Lydia knows they need to escape to avoid the same fate as the rest of her family that includes her mother and husband, Sebastián. He was a journalist who wrote a tell-all about the local cartel and this is the reason that everyone is dead. She knows this to be true because of the man who used to frequent her book store. Javier purchased some of Lydia's personal favourite books, he was intelligent and charmed her, but but unbeknownst to Lydia, Javier is the leader of the newest drug cartel that has taken over the city.

Forced to flee, Lydia and Luca are on the run. They transform into migrants, and are trying to make their way el norte to the United States—the only place Javier can't reach them. What unfolds is their dangerous and harrowing journey.

Full disclosure: I listened to this book a few weeks ago and I knew nothing about it at the time. My heart sank when I heard the afterward where Cummins says; "I wished someone slightly browner than me would write it," because I (wrongly) assumed she was a Latinx author.⁣⁣

There are many reviews that point out the gross inaccuracies and racial stereotypes. Even though this is a work of fiction, I feel mislead. This book was marketed as being written by an own voices author, but that is not correct—Cummins hasn't identified as being Latinx until now. Convenient? Absolutely.
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That being said, there have been a lot of discussion surrounding the book—people are having constructive dialogue and I think that’s a fantastic start. I have started a list of books by Latinx authors as a result of reading articles about American Dirt which include: The Devil's Highway: A True Story by Luis Alberto Urrea; Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henríquez; Signs Preceding the End of the World by Yuri Herrera; and Where We Come From by Oscar Cásares. This is an important conversation. Please keep talking, educating, and recommending #ownvoices and Latinx authors—comment below with your favourite so I can add it to my TBR pile.   ⁣⁣

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This Won't End Well

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

Annie Mercer has sworn off people after her boss sabotaged her career and her best friend tried to cure her with crystals. Now Jon, her fiancé, said that he needs space while gallivanting around Paris.

So Annie decides to focus instead on her new cleaning business. But when Harper moves into the house next door, Annie can't help being intrigued by the glamorous, yet fragile, woman and makes it her mission to keep an eye on her. Enter Mo, an amateur detective, that Annie teams up with to keep Harper safe.

After breaking her rule by letting two new people into her life, Jon reappears and wants her to come to France. She has a feeling that letting anyone get to close won't end well and that a second chance may not be worth the risk.

From the onset I was smitten with Annie's biting and sarcastic wit—it is so refreshing to read about an intelligent woman (Annie is a scientist). There are going to be a lot of readers that relate to Annie's wanting to withdraw from people in reaction to being hurt. But what's beautiful about this story is that it reminds us that given the chance, there are people that will surprise you in the best way.

The epistolary narrative style was a good choice because it really highlighted Annie's character. She's quirky, direct, and literal. It also played to her scientific mind, how she approached things, and it was the perfect vehicle to show her growth and self-discovery.

Where Pagán missed the mark is in the actual chemistry—the romantic kind, not the science kind. They relationships just didn't work for me, and neither did the ending. And why the Epilogue? Totally unnecessary. Dare I say that it was also perhaps a little more campy than her other books. That being said, I would still recommend it. Simply put, Camille's writing is engaging. She knows when to inject humour, and when to give in to the emotional aspects of the story.

This Won't End Well was a fun, quick, and overly enjoyable book. 

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CAMILLE PAGÁN is bestselling author of I'm Fine and Neither Are You, and 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.

Long Bright River by Liz Moore

A special thank you to Libro.fm Audiobooks and Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group for an advanced listening copy in exchange for an honest review.

The title of the book refers to "a long bright river of departed souls," those that have died as a result of opioid overdoses in the Philadelphia neighbourhood of Kensington.

Two sisters split apart by addiction: Kacey is an addict that lives on the streets and turns tricks to support her drug habit, whereas Mickey, a single mom, patrols those same streets as a police officer. Even though they don't speak, Mickey is always watching for Kacey and worrying that she is going to find her dead from an overdose.

But then Kacey disappears at the same time that other young women are being murdered. The killings are taking place in Mickey's district and she becomes obsessed with not only finding her sister, but who is responsible before it's too late.

Opening with a list of names of those that have died from opioid overdoses, Long Bright River is an uncomfortable read. It is an unflinching look at addiction and the opioid crisis in America. Moore doesn't judge. Instead she captures the incredibly harsh realities of addiction and gives a voice to those that struggle—she shines a light in a very dark place.

Moore's writing is beautiful, harrowing, and nuanced. Her character development is nothing short of amazing. Mickey is layered, complex, flawed, and deeply human. At first she appears to be the sister that has it all together when in fact, she is completely marred by her past and her sister's drug addition.

Alternating between the present-day mystery and the backstory of the sisters' upbringing, this suspense-filled novel is a story of hope, addiction, and the bond between sisters. Long Bright River is a slow burn that is intricately paced and well worth the your patience.

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LIZ MOORE is the author of the acclaimed novels Heft and The Unseen World. She won the 2014-15 Rome Prize in Literature.

Moore lives in Philadelphia.

Husband Material by Emily Belden

A special thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Graydon House for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you also to Harlequin for the opportunity to be a part of the Blog Tour.

Charlotte Rosen is a twenty-nine-year-old data analyst in LA. She's developing an app that measures how compatible a potential mate is. To test her algorithm, and in the hopes of finding Mr. Right, she goes on several dates—but what nobody knows, not even her roommate, is that Charlotte was widowed five years earlier.

When Charlotte receives Decker's ashes in the mail, she is stunned, and all of the careful relationships she has constructed to keep her past hidden begin to crumble. When a chance at love comes her way, will Charlotte trust the numbers or her heart?

Belden walks a fine line between humour and grief and for the most part is successful. My only hesitation with rating this book higher is because Charlotte was a bit too needy.

That being said, what I loved about the book was the humour. It was cheeky and fun—the opening wedding scene reads like a movie. The dynamic between Charlotte and her mother-in-law made for some of the best scenes in the book. I also enjoyed the support group and would have liked it to have more page time.

Husband Material is a fresh rom-com with a contemporary edge.    

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EMILY BELDON is a journalist, social media marketer, and storyteller. She is the author of the novels Hot Mess and Husband Material, and of Eightysixed: A Memoir about Unforgettable Men, Mistakes, and Meals.

She lives in Chicago with her husband, Matt.

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Q &A with Emily Belden

When you begin writing a love story, do you know how you want it to end? Or do you decide as you develop the plot?

I generally have an idea of how I want things to wrap up, but what I always struggle with is that final sentence. How do you know you’re REALLY there? I often ready my theoretical last sentence out loud, followed by saying “The End”, and if it feels like it has a certain “ring” to it, then I can shut the laptop. If not, then I know it’s not my stopping point. Wrapping up that final thought with a bow on it is super important. It’s what I want when I read a book, at least.

How was it to write about grief, pain and love for the same character?

It was new. That’s really the best word to explain it. Hot Mess has so many autobiographical elements to it (i.e., restaurant industry know-how, dating an addict, etc.) but Husband Material was all unchartered territory for me. I realized right away that in order to write about the grief of losing a spouse/partner, I had to curate a focus group of real-life women like Charlotte and really learn from them to bring the level of authenticity and nuance needed to successfully write the book.

What type of love stories do you like? Or were there ones you looked to as you began writing Husband Material?

I like really unexpected love stories. In today’s literary landscape, there’s certainly a formula that is pretty common. So it’s the books that break or stray from that formula that really do it for me. I like stories where it’s not innately clear who the protagonist is going to end up with. Even with Hot Mess there’s a moment where (I hope) the reader is like “OMG WHAT IS HAPPENING” insofar as Allie’s love story goes. Same with Charlotte in Husband Material.

Do you prefer to write by planning ahead (ie outlining, etc) or just go with the flow as inspiration hits?

I prefer to go with the flow. My general writing pattern is banging out 1-2 chapters at a time and then ending my work with a bulleted list of what I think needs to happen next. That way, when I open up my laptop and start to write the next 1-2 chapters, I’m not totally lost or forgetful of where I left off. It helps me figure out what would make sense in the flow of the pages.

When did you know you wanted to become an author? What are you currently reading and what's on your TBR list?

It’s been my only god-given talent since I was a little kid. It started with really creative letters to Santa or the Tooth Fairy. I won a contest to be a kid reporter for the Chicago Tribune when I was 12 years old and after that, my fate was sealed. I knew I wanted to write at the highest level I could! I am currently reading a book called Lulu’s Cafe by an author who is also repped by my agents, Browne & Miller. I really love it and can picture it as an adorable Hallmark Movie.

What inspired you to write this book?

I heard a news story on the TV when I was doing dishes at my (former) home in San Diego. It was about a developer who wanted to buy the land a mausoleum was on so they could tear it down and build luxury condos overlooking the ocean. I thought, how crazy if your loved one’s ashes just got mailed back to you one day and the resting place you thought was final, wasn’t. It wasn’t easy, but turned that general premise into a light-side-of-heavy rom-com.

What theme or message do you hope readers will take away from your book?

Over all, that second chances at love take all different forms. You never know the circumstances someone has found themselves in, so be kind. For Charlotte, I intentionally wrote the first few chapters as if she was divorced--talking about her “first marriage”. Then you find out “Oh, sh*t, she’s a widow,” and all the sudden your emotional connection with her changes. I also find it interesting writing about death. We don’t talk about it in society, especially not in contemporary women’s fiction. A tragic, unexpected death is the crux of this book. Let’s dig in!

What drew you into this particular genre?

I saw there was room to carve out a spot for someone like me who writes unexpected, voicey, edgy, authentic women’s fiction and so I went full steam ahead with the help of a great agent to make it happen.

If you could sit down with any character in your book, what would you ask them and why?

I would sit down with Charlotte. I’ve met the “real life” versions of her when doing my focus groups for research, it would be my honor to meet her. I’d ask her if she wanted to team up and develop a dating app framed around people’s dogs.

What social media site has been the most helpful in developing your readership?

Instagram. I feel like I’ve become friends with people I’ve never met in real life. They cheer me on and I’m humbled by it. I also find other authors on Facebook in certain literary groups. This has been fun and has helped me grow my TBR list with books I otherwise wouldn’t have heard of.

What advice would you give to aspiring or just starting authors out there?

Be patient. Be patient with the process—success as an author is fluid and can mean many different things. Nothing happens overnight. It’s a process. And be patient with yourself. If you aren’t vibing your writing, don’t put pressure on yourself to tap keys just because you said you were going to do 1,000 words tonight. There are times two weeks go by and I haven’t opened my Word doc once. But then when I am vibing it, I can cruise for 10K words and absolutely rock it. There’s an ebb and flow, for sure.

What does the future hold in store for you? Any new books/projects on the horizon?

I am working on a third novel at my own pace right now. I’m very excited about it and just exploring where the plot takes me. I would love to work on a film/TV/podcast adaption of any of my existing works as a next step, too. I also got married nine months ago and am enjoying life with my soulmate, Matt.

Good Girls Lie by J. T. Ellison

A special thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you also to Harlequin for the opportunity to be a part of the Blog Tour.

Goode girls don’t lie…or do they?

The Goode School is a prestigious all girls prep school nestled in the picturesque town of Marchburg, Virginia. Known as Silent Ivy, the school only accept the very best and brightest girls, the daughters of the rich and influential. But when a stranger comes to Goode, the ivy turns poisonous.

Appearances are everything, especially at Goode where the girls are being groomed for Ivy League educations. As long as you follow the strict honour code and stick to the rules, you will succeed. In fact, people will even turn a blind eye to the cruel and calculating hazings of the secret societies and the unsavoury attitudes of the spoiled and privileged rich girls to keep the school's reputation and its students' reputations in tact.

Ash Carlisle is an import from England. After witnessing both of her parents dying, she is trying to reinvent herself as a Goode girl. Only it isn't that easy. Ash is not only struggling to fit in—especially with being targeted by popular senior, Becca Curtis—but also with trying to keep her past hidden, as well as the many other secrets and lies that seem to be piling up.

When a popular student is found dead, the truth can't be ignored. Rumours are suggesting that the girl had a secret that drove her to commit suicide. But was it suicide, or was it murder? You see, there are truths, lies, and what actually happened in between.

This propulsive character driven novel is well-sculpted and sublimely atmospheric—the setting was absolute perfection! What is it about boarding schools that is so intriguing? Can't you just picture the stone walls, ornate wood, climbing ivy, and secret tunnels?

Ellison's writing is hypnotic, detailed, and consuming. The solid narrative is framed by equally strong characters. Told from multiple perspectives, the majority of the story is told from Ash's point of view, with a few other perspectives in the mix. This works exceptionally well, the reader experiences a lot of what Ash is as a newcomer.

Good Girls Lie is devious and delightful. There is plenty of back-stabbing, double-crossing, and plot twists. J. T. Ellison will have her readers engaged until the very last page.

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J. T. ELLISON is an award-winning New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 20 novels. She is published in 28 countries and 16 languages.

Ellison lives in Nashville with her husband and two cats.

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Q & A with J. T. Ellison

Do you plan your books in advance or let them develop as you write?

Both. Sometimes the story just unfolds, and sometimes I have to relentlessly work on themes and turning points and characters’ points of view. Every book is different, every book has its own unique challenges. I’m always thinking about what’s next, and sometimes even what’s after that. But when it comes to actually sitting down to write, I like to let the story unfold a bit, let it stretch its wings, before I try to lash it to the mast and conform it to my vision.

What does the act of writing mean to you?

It’s a sacred contract with me and a mythical “someone” who might read the words at some point in the future and find them entertaining or moving. It’s sheer magic on my end, creating, and sheer magic on the readers’ end, when they get to experience what was in my head as I was writing. It’s the most incredible mystical experience out there.

Have you ever had a character take over a story, and if so, who was it and why?

All the time. Oh my gosh, all the time. Honestly, if the character doesn’t run away with things, I know there’s a problem. Ivy, in Lie to Me, is a particular favourite. She’s just so nasty...

Which one of Good Girls Lie’s characters was the hardest to write and why?

Ash, for sure. She was so elusive and aloof with me. The Britishisms, the secrets, the lies, she was always just out of reach. Of course, that was because I’d written her in third person. When I switched her to first, she wouldn’t shut up.

Which character in any of your books (Good Girls Lie or otherwise) is dearest to you and why?

Oh that’s an impossible question. Taylor. Sam. Sutton. Vivian. Ash. Aubrey. Ivy. Juliet. Lauren. Becca. Gavin. Baldwin. Xander. They are all me, on some level, whether it’s a fear or a triumph, a flaw or a heroic action. A moment of love or a moment of animosity. It’s like asking me to choose among my children, which one is my favorite. (I don’t have kids, by the way, but I couldn’t pick my favorite of my kittens, either.)

What did you want to be as a child? Was it an author?

I desperately wanted to be Colorado’s first female firefighter. When that job was taken, I cast about. Doctor. Lawyer. Fighter Pilot. Spy. International business maven. Olympic swimmer. Poet. In the end, being a writer was my only choice. That way, I get to experience all the lives I could have led.

What does a day in the life of J.T. Ellison look like?

It’s rather blissful. It starts rather lazily, with the cats cuddled into my arms and the newspaper on my iPad, then progresses to kicking the lazy beasts out, pouring a cup of tea and handling email. I am not a morning person, so I tend to do business in the morning and writing in the afternoon, when I’m sharper. I’ve always wanted to be the writer who gets up at 5 am to write whilst the birds chirp and the house sleeps, watching the sun rise and running five miles before the rest of the world is awake, but alas, it was not meant to be. You need to go to a concert that starts at ten p.m., I’m your girl.

What do you use to inspire you when you get Writer’s Block?

It depends. If it’s a genuine block, a I’ve lost faith in myself and my work block, I will step away from the manuscript entirely, read, walk, golf, yoga, go out for margaritas with my husband, anything to remove me from the situation. But 90 percent of the time, it’s just a story issue, so I work it out with some of my creative partners. Lots of texting and phone calls and what ifs, until it shakes itself free.

What book would you take with you to a desert island?

Hmmm… my knee jerk is the Harry Potter series – I know, I know, that’s seven books, but I’m sure there’s an omnibus edition somewhere. The fight for good and evil never ceases to amaze and comfort me. Knowing love conquers evil is a big deal in this world. And Hermione kicks ass. If I’m forced into a single title, Plato’s Republic. I’ve been obsessed with the allegory of the cave my entire adult life.

Favorite quote?

“Do. Or Do not. There is no try.” – Master Yoda

Coffee or tea?

Loose leaf earl grey. Making tea is a meditative experience for me.

Best TV or Movie adaptation of a book?

Clueless, hands-down the best adaptation of Austen’s Emma ever, and I’ve been enjoying A Discovery of Witches, based on the fabulous books by Deborah Harkness. Outlander isn’t bad, either. And Game of Thrones… obviously, I don’t include anything past the second episode of the final season of that, though I did enjoy the whole Deanarys-Drogon airborne apocalypse. I mean, talk about a girl who had reason to be aggravated with society.

Do you have stories on the back burner that are just waiting to be written?

So. Many. Stories. I will never get to them all. At last count, there are 49 in my “Story Idea” folder, with several more floating around in my head.

What has been the hardest thing about publishing? What has been the most fun?

The hardest is staying in the game, juggling the necessary mix of creativity and business, finding new paths to reach readers and leveling up the writing so it’s possible to grow my career. It was much easier to write, to focus, before our constant connections to the internet consumed us. The most fun is that email from a reader, when something I’ve written strikes a chord with them and they write to tell me they love a story, or a character, or an ending. It doesn’t get better than that.

What advice would you give budding authors about publishing?

Stay as much in a vacuum as you can while writing. You don’t need a platform, you need an excellent, groundbreaking book. And read everything. Everything you can get your hands on. You learn writing through osmosis as much as writing the books themselves. Find your writing habit and hold it sacred. If you respect your work, your people will, too.

What was the last thing you read?

I just finished Holly Black’s The Queen of Nothing, the finale of her Folk of the Air trilogy, and just finished listening to Bag of Bones by Stephen King. Both were exceptional.

Your top five authors?

Diana Gabaldon
J. K. Rowling
Deborah Harkness
Leigh Bardugo
Sarah J. Maas

Book you've bought just for the cover?

That’s how I found the Holly Black trilogy – I adored the cover of The Cruelest Prince.

Tell us about what you’re working on now.

I’m writing a novel about a destination wedding that goes very, very wrong. It has loose ties to Rebecca, and it titled Her Dark Lies. 

Little Gods: A Novel by Meng Jin

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

Su Lan gives birth in the middle of the Tiananmen Square Massacre. Years later, her daughter, Liya, takes her mother's ashes back to China, and sets out on a course of discovery—who was the enigmatic woman that was her mother?

Little Gods is a haunting debut about memory, history, and who we truly are.

Told through multiple narrators, Jin tells Su Lan's story: Zhu Wen was the last woman to know her before she left China, and Yongzong was a former classmate (and Liya's father that she never met). Using Zhu Wen and Yongzong was an effective way for Liya to learn about her mother—Su Lan was a scientist, a woman hesitant to embrace motherhood, and someone with a deep connection to her past. The reader experiences the revelations the same time as Liya, feeling her emotions, and the disconnect and displacement that she endures.

The writing style was problematic because there were no quotations around the dialogue. This is a huge pet peeve of mine. I never understand why someone would willingly choose to confuse the reader. And who decides this? Is it the writer, or is it the editor? This is incredibly distracting and it diminished the story.

If you like a complex, character-driven narrative than you will appreciate the beauty of this thought-provoking debut. Little Gods explores themes of grief, the immigrant experience, and the complicated bond between mothers and daughters.

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MENG JIN is the author of Little Gods and a graduate of Harvard and Hunter College.

Jin was born in Shanghai and lives in San Francisco.

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

The Happy Ever After Playlist by Abby Jimenez

A special thank you to Libro.fm, Hachette Audio, Hachette Book Group Canada, Forever (Grand Central Publishing), and NetGalley for an ARC/audiobook listening copy in exchange for an honest review.

On her way to visit the grave of her late fiancé, artist Sloan Monroe nearly hits a dog when he dashes out in front of her vehicle. When she stops to check on the dog, he jumps onto the hood of her car and then into the car through the sunroof. After getting a ticket for obstructing traffic, a visit to the vet, several unanswered calls to the number on his collar, and posting his picture everywhere with no response, Sloan decides to claim the dog. He turns out to be just what she needs to distract her from her grief.

Jason Larsen, dog owner, is off the grid in Australia and is shocked to receive Sloan’s many messages. After proving that Tucker is indeed his dog, and that he didn’t abandon him (his sort of girlfriend was supposed to be looking after him), he negotiates for Tucker to stay with Sloan while he finishes up his trip.

The two begin flirty texts that morph into long phone calls with the promise of a face-to-face meeting. When Sloan discovers that Jason is actually Jaxon Waters, the singer of "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald," she's completely blindsided. This is the song that Sloan couldn’t stop watching the animated video for after her fiancé, Brandon, died. Jaxon's music haunted her, it spoke to her soul, and it brought her so much comfort during the darkest period of her life. Could this be fate?

Utterly charmed by Tucker, and Jason’s patience and kindness, Sloan falls in love. Plus he's super hot! But Jason’s label has other plans as to who he should be dating now that he is on the cusp of superstardom and embarking on a major tour. Touring with Jason also means that Sloan will have to abandon her art that she has just started getting back into.

Is Jason worth the sacrifice? Can Sloan handle what could seemingly be another heartbreak?

Opening with an epic meet cute, Jimenez sets the tone for the perfect rom-com. However, after starting the book, I quickly abandoned it to read Jimenez’s debut The Friend Zone and I’m so glad I did because I was able to fully appreciate the back story. Fans of Kristen and Josh will be thrilled with this book—the  couple get lots of page time as Sloan’s support system while she navigates her grief and her new relationship.

What I loved was how Jimenez pens Sloan so carefully—she is a character that is completely broken by grief and is simply existing. I encourage you to read the incredibly touching inspiration for this book in the acknowledgments.

The only thing that didn't work for me was the whole crazy ex subplot. At times it felt a little clichéd and overly dramatic. I'm wondering if Lola will be the subject of a different book which is why she was given such a big part?  

This book has all the feels, it is emotional, raw, and just plain funny. I adored the witty banter and Jimenez has an impeccable ear for dialogue. The Happy Ever After Playlist is heartfelt, flirty, and fun.

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ABBY JIMENEZ is a Food Network champion, motivational speaker, and contemporary romance novelist.

Jimenez currently lives in Minnesota.