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Thursday, May 29, 2014

*[Release Day Blitz] An American Girl in Italy by Aubrie Dionne


 

Title: An American Girl in Italy
By: Aubrie Dionne
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publication Date: May 29th, 2014
Published By: Harper Impulse

An Italian paradise is the last thing she wants... but the one thing she needs!
Surely any girl would kill for the chance to tour Italy’s most famous cities for the summer? To experience the warmth of the Tuscan sun, the culinary delights of the pizzerias and caffés and to stroll along the cobbled streets of the City of Love itself...
Any girl apart from ambitious oboist Carly Davis that is! For her, the Easthampton Civic Symphony’s latest European tour is one massive inconvenience. She can’t even put her smartphone down long enough to snap a picture of the Coliseum.
Only, there’s one Italian attraction that Carly hadn’t quite expected to be a part of the tourist route...
Tour guide Michelangelo is as dark and delicious as Carly’s morning espresso. And when she needs a few lessons in the language of love to land her an important gig, he’s a more than capable tutor.

But with her promising career back in Boston, can Carly really afford to lose her heart in Italy?

  
 

Cat Thursday #49

 


Welcome to the weekly meme that celebrates the wonders and sometime hilarity of cats! Join us by posting a favorite LOL cat pic you may have come across, famous cat art or even share with us pics of your own beloved cat(s) and then link up at the host's site: The True Book Addict. It's all for the love of cats!
 
 
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Wednesday, May 28, 2014

*[Blog Tour Review] Mrs. Poe by Lynn Cullen

Mrs. Poe
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Summary:
 
A vivid and compelling novel about a woman who becomes entangled in an affair with Edgar Allan Poe—at the same time she becomes the unwilling confidante of his much-younger wife.

It is 1845, and Frances Osgood is desperately trying to make a living as a writer in New York; not an easy task for a woman—especially one with two children and a philandering portrait painter as her husband. As Frances tries to sell her work, she finds that editors are only interested in writing similar to that of the new renegade literary sensation Edgar Allan Poe, whose poem, “The Raven” has struck a public nerve.

She meets the handsome and mysterious Poe at a literary party, and the two have an immediate connection. Poe wants Frances to meet with his wife since she claims to be an admirer of her poems, and Frances is curious to see the woman whom Edgar married.

As Frances spends more and more time with the intriguing couple, her intense attraction for Edgar brings her into dangerous territory. And Mrs. Poe, who acts like an innocent child, is actually more manipulative and threatening than she appears. As Frances and Edgar’s passionate affair escalates, Frances must decide whether she can walk away before it’s too late...

Set amidst the fascinating world of New York’s literati, this smart and sexy novel offers a unique view into the life of one of history’s most unforgettable literary figures.
Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com
Length: 318 pages (Hardcover)
Source: Review Copy
Available Formats: Print/E-book/Audio
Publication Date: October 1st 2013 by Gallery Books
 
Completely unexpected.
Those are the words that first come to mind when I think of how best to describe Mrs. Poe by Lynn Cullen and I mean it in the best of ways.
 
When I first picked it up I expected it to be a heavier read, that's not to say that heavier reads aren't enjoyable because they are but it is not often that I can ascribe lightness to historical fiction but I feel like with this one I an and not think that it takes away from the novel itself.
 
I knew very little about Poe, except the basics that I've gleamed from the little bio of him at the end of books of his poetry and I knew next to nothing about Frances Osgood so I was very drawn to this story and Frances' character most of all.
 
From page one I was drawn into the story and the way that Lynn decided to tell it and I loved France from the moment we were introduced to her. I just loved how she was. She left a life of privilege to be with a man she loved even though that relationship was rife with betrayal. She was writing when women were still thought to have naught but fluff and thoughts of embroidery in their heads and she was determined to have a better life for herself and her children than the one she was living at the time.
 
I liked that she was all about her children, when may people born into her station would have basically left the majority of the child rearing to servants, her meager earnings made it impossible so she was more hands on than I thought and I loved to see just how much her daughters meant to her. She had a strength and a kindness about her that I really enjoyed.
 
I also enjoyed Lynn Cullen's depiction of Poe. He was by all accounts a very stoic and dour man who had a sharp tongue and wasn't afraid to use it in his criticisms. I was a little put off by his attitude but I did come to like how he was portrayed in the story because despite his personality because he had times where all that melted away and you could see a more human side of him.
 
Most importantly though, I was impressed with how easy it was for me to get wrapped up in the story of Frances and Edgars affair. They were so drawn to each other that they were like to moths drawn to a flame and I enjoyed seeing things progress the way they did, especially when Poe's wife was thrown into the mix. She was a bit of a hellion in my opinion and while Virginia seemed immature I did like her character.
 
I thought that Mrs. Poe was a very well written novel, and I found that I really enjoyed that this book was one of those novels that was intensely focused on the characters and their relationships more than any real political element in the story which I found refreshing.
 
If I had one complaint about the novel though it would be that I wish certain parts had been fleshed out a little bit more, but other than that I thought it was a great read that was quick, refreshing and not too heavy in terms of content. I would absolutely recommend this one to everyone, not just those with an interest in Poe, or historical fiction but for those looking to try this genre out. Will I be reading more by Lynn Cullen in the future? Heck yeah! I've already got another of her novel's (the Creation of Eve) on hold at the library.

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my free and honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are 100% my own.

Really Liked It!
★★★
 
To "Like" Lynn on Facebook CLICK HERE
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To purchase the book via Chapters Indigo CLICK HERE
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To purchase the book via Amazon CLICK HERE
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To purchase the book via Barnes & Noble CLICK HERE


https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16130398-mrs-poe
 
Author Bio:
 
03_Lynn CullenLynn Cullen grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the fifth girl in a family of seven children. She learned to love history combined with traveling while visiting historic sites across the U.S. on annual family camping trips. She attended Indiana University in Bloomington and Fort Wayne, and took writing classes with Tom McHaney at Georgia State. She wrote children’s books as her three daughters were growing up, while working in a pediatric office and later, at Emory University on the editorial staff of a psychoanalytic journal. While her camping expeditions across the States have become fact-finding missions across Europe, she still loves digging into the past. She does not miss, however, sleeping in musty sleeping bags. Or eating canned fruit cocktail. She now lives in Atlanta with her husband, their dog, and two unscrupulous cats.
Lynn Cullen is the author of The Creation of Eve, named among the best fiction books of 2010 by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and as an April 2010 Indie Next selection. She is also the author of numerous award-winning books for children, including the young adult novel I Am Rembrandt’s Daughter, which was a 2007 Barnes & Noble “Discover Great New Writers” selection, and an ALA Best Book of 2008. Her novel, Reign of Madness, about Juana the Mad, daughter of the Spanish Monarchs Isabella and Ferdinand, was chosen as a 2011 Best of the South selection by the Atlanta Journal Constitution and was a 2012 Townsend Prize finalist. Her newest novel, MRS. POE, examines the fall of Edgar Allan Poe through the eyes of poet Francis Osgood.


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Waiting on Wednesday #114

 
Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine and is where we can talk about books we are looking forward to being released.
 
Knight Avenged (Circle of Seven, #2)
 
Summary:
 
Alone in a world on the brink of war…two unlikely allies will discover a love greater than time.

Exiled from her home, powerful oracle Cosmina Cordei holds the key to uniting those protecting mankind from evil. But just as she makes her way into the holy city to perform an ancient rite, the enemy closes in for the kill…

Drawn by a destiny he won’t accept, elite assassin Henrik Lazar detests the mystical curse handed down by his mother. But when the sorcery in his blood is activated and past pain comes back to haunt him, his new abilities come into play and he must learn to control them.

Rescued by Henrik in the heat of battle, Cosmina must decide whether to trust the assassin who loathes the goddess she serves or face certain death on her own. Forced into an untenable position, Henrik is left with a terrible choice—protect the magical Order he despises, or deny destiny and lose the woman he loves forever.
Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com
Length: N/A
Expected Publication Date: July 15th 2014 by Montlake Romance
 
Why I'm waiting:
 
I absolutely loved the first book in Coreene Callahan's Circle of Seven series Knight Awakened when I read it back in 2013. I thought it was a great mixture of romance, fantasy and historical fiction so when I saw that book 2 (finally) had a release date I had to feature it.
 
Dust and Light (The Sanctuary Duet, #1)
 
Summary:
 
National bestselling author Carol Berg returns to the world of her award-winning Flesh and Spirit and Breath and Bone with an all-new tale of magic, mystery, and corruption....

How much must one pay for an hour of youthful folly? The Pureblood Registry accused Lucian de Remeni-Masson of “unseemly involvement with ordinaries,” which meant only that he spoke with a young woman not of his own kind, allowed her to see his face unmasked, worked a bit of magic for her....After that one mistake, Lucian’s grandsire excised half his magic and savage Harrowers massacred his family. Now the Registry has contracted his art to a common coroner. His extraordinary gift for portraiture is restricted to dead ordinaries—beggars or starvelings hauled from the streets.

But sketching the truth of dead men’s souls brings unforeseen consequences. Sensations not his own. Truths he cannot possibly know and dares not believe. The coroner calls him a cheat and says he is trying to weasel out of a humiliating contract. The Registry will call him mad—and mad sorcerers are very dangerous....
Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com
Length: 464 pages (Paperback)
Expected Publication Date: Expected publication: August 5th 2014 by Roc Trade
 
Why I'm Waiting:
 
I've been hearing good things about this author for awhile now, but still haven't got into her other series yet so I think I might use this one as my introduction to her writing but I have a feeling I won't be able to hold off on starting her books that long so I'll probably give another series of hers a go in the mean time.
 
 
What are you waiting on?
 
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Library Loot #21

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Linda from Silly Little Mischief that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries.
 
The Haul: 
 
The SparkDeception's Princess (Deception's Princess, #1)Plus OneLoving Cara (Love Under the Big Sky, #1)Carolina Man (Dare Island, #3)Four Weddings and a Fireman (The Bachelor Firemen of San Gabriel, #5)Love, Life, and Elephants: An African Love StoryBlood Eye (Raven #1)Mercenaries (The Conquest Trilogy, #1)Sky Raiders (Five Kingdoms, #1)River Road
 
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Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Top Ten Tuesday #67

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!
 
Top Ten PNR/Urban Fantasy Series I Have To Start:
 
A Kiss of Shadows (Meredith Gentry, #1)Dead Witch Walking (The Hollows, #1)Undead and Unwed (Undead, #1)
 
1. A Kiss of Shadows (Merry Gentry #1) by Laurell K. Hamilton
2. Dead Witch Walking (The Hollows #1) by Kim Harrison
3. Undead and Unwed (Undead #1) by Mary Janice Davidson
 
Covet (Fallen Angels, #1)Pleasure Unbound (Demonica, #1)Kiss of Midnight (Midnight Breed,  #1)
 
4. Covet (Fallen Angels #1) by J.R. Ward
5. Pleasures Unbound (Demonica #1) by Larissa Ione
6. Kiss of Midnight (Midnight Breed #1) by Lara Adrian
 
First Grave on the Right (Charley Davidson, #1)Halfway to the Grave (Night Huntress, #1)Marked (Eternal Guardians, #1)
 
7. First Grave on the Right (Charley Davidson #1) by Darynda Jones
8. Halfway to the Grave (Night Huntress #1) by Jeaniene Frost
9. Marked (Eternal Guardians #1) by Elisabeth Naughton
 
Kitty and the Midnight Hour (Kitty Norville, #1)
 
10. Kitty and the Midnight Hour (Kitty Norville #1) by Carrie Vaughn
 
What's your Top 10 this Tuesday?
 
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Teaser Tuesday #48

 Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
   
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
 BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
 
Mrs. Poe
 
Summary:
 
A vivid and compelling novel about a woman who becomes entangled in an affair with Edgar Allan Poe—at the same time she becomes the unwilling confidante of his much-younger wife.

It is 1845, and Frances Osgood is desperately trying to make a living as a writer in New York; not an easy task for a woman—especially one with two children and a philandering portrait painter as her husband. As Frances tries to sell her work, she finds that editors are only interested in writing similar to that of the new renegade literary sensation Edgar Allan Poe, whose poem, “The Raven” has struck a public nerve.

She meets the handsome and mysterious Poe at a literary party, and the two have an immediate connection. Poe wants Frances to meet with his wife since she claims to be an admirer of her poems, and Frances is curious to see the woman whom Edgar married.

As Frances spends more and more time with the intriguing couple, her intense attraction for Edgar brings her into dangerous territory. And Mrs. Poe, who acts like an innocent child, is actually more manipulative and threatening than she appears. As Frances and Edgar’s passionate affair escalates, Frances must decide whether she can walk away before it’s too late...

Set amidst the fascinating world of New York’s literati, this smart and sexy novel offers a unique view into the life of one of history’s most unforgettable literary figures.
Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com
Length: 318 pages (Hardcover)
Publication Date: October 1st 2013 by Gallery Books
 
My Teaser:
Pg. 20 (e-book)
 
"There you have it," I said with a nonchalance that I did not feel. If I became his competition, I, too, might soon be on the wrong side of the dangerous Mr. Poe.
 
 
What's your Teaser this Tuesday?
 

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Tuesday Jams #13

 
Tuesday Jams is a meme where you share your favourite songs. bands and the current song you're feeling and is hosted by Sharonda from Salacious Reads
 
 



I've been listening to P!nk since I was a tween and I've loved how her music has changed, but I especially love the she has her husband and her daughter in her videos.
This is another one for my Mister :)

What are your Tuesday Jams this week?
 
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Monday, May 26, 2014

It's Monday! What Are You Reading #100

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a meme hosted by Book Journey and is a great way for others to find out what you are planning to read this week and, best of all, see what others are reading
 
Read Last Week:
 
All My Patients Kick and Bite: More Favorite Stories from a Vet's Practice Falling For The Highland Rogue (The Gilvrys Of Dunros, #3)Fly Away (Firefly Lane, #2)The Glass KitchenMap of Bones (Sigma Force, #2)
 
Currently Reading:
 
Mrs. Poe
 
Up Next:
 
The InformationistA Wolf in HindelheimDust
 
 
What are your reading plans for this week?
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