The Lost Duchess

Book blasts have seemed to have gotten huge in the book blogging world lately. I do enjoy reading them, but until now have yet to post one. Except when I saw this novel and its summary, it sounded like one I'd love and thought my readers would feel the same. So I couldn't help but participate and share this new book with you all!

Please join author Jenny Barden as she tours the blogopsphere for The Lost Duchess from May 26-June 20.

Paperback Publication Date: June 5, 2014
Ebury Press
Paperback; 448p

An epic Elizabethan adventure with a thriller pace and a high tension love story that moves from the palaces of England to the savage wilderness of the New World.

Emme Fifield has fallen about as far as a gentlewoman can.

Once a lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth, her only hope of surviving the scandal that threatens to engulf her is to escape England for a fresh start in the new America where nobody has ever heard of the Duchess of Somerset.

Emme joins Kit Doonan's rag-tag band of idealists, desperados and misfits bound for Virginia. But such a voyage will be far from easy and Emme finds her attraction to the mysterious Doonan inconvenient to say the least.

As for Kit, the handsome mariner has spent years imprisoned by the Spanish, and living as an outlaw with a band of escaped slaves; he has his own inner demons to confront, and his own dark secrets to keep...

Ever since Sir Walter Raleigh's settlement in Virginia was abandoned in 1587 its fate has remained a mystery; 'The Lost Duchess' explores what might have happened to the ill-starred 'Lost Colony' of Roanoke.

Buy the Book

Amazon (AUS)
Amazon (UK)
Book Depository

About the Author

I've had a love of history and adventure ever since an encounter in infancy with a suit of armour at Tamworth Castle. Training as an artist, followed by a career as a city Jenny (Portrait 2)solicitor, did little to help displace my early dream of becoming a knight. A fascination with the Age of Discovery led to travels in South and Central America, and much of the inspiration for my debut came from retracing the footsteps of Francis Drake in Panama. The sequel centres on the first Elizabethan 'lost colony' of early Virginia. I am currently working on an epic adventure during the threat of invasion by the Spanish Armada.

My work has appeared in short story collections and anthologies and I've written for non-fiction publications including the Historical Novels Review. I am active in many organisations, having run the 'Get Writing' conferences for several years, and undertaken the co-ordination of the Historical Novel Society’s London Conference 2012. I am a member of that organisation as well as the Historical Writers' Association, the Romantic Nevelists' Association and the Society of Authors. I'll be co-ordinating the RNA's annual conference in 2014.

I have four children and now live on a farm in Dorset with my long suffering husband and an ever increasing assortment of animals.

I love travelling, art, reading and scrambling up hills and mountains (though I'm not so keen on coming down!).

Author Links

Website
Facebook
Twitter
Jenny Barden's Blog
English Historical Fiction Authors Blog

Also by Jenny Barden

Publication Date: June 20, 2013
Ebury Press
Formats: Paperback, Ebook

Mistress Cooksley may be a wealthy merchant's daughter, but she blushes at my words and meets my eyes look for look. Yet I cannot hope to court her without fortune, and a dalliance with a pretty maid will not hinder me from my path.

Captain Drake's endeavour might bring me gold, but I, Will Doonan, will have my revenge.

The Spaniards captured my brother and have likely tortured and killed him. For God and St George, we'll strike at the dogs and see justice done.

I thought I'd left Mistress Cooksley behind to gamble everything and follow Drake, and here she is playing the boy at the ends of the world. She's a fool with a heart as brave as any man's. Yet her presence here could be the ruin of us all...

Virtual Tour & Book Blast Schedule

Monday, May 26
Review & Giveaway at Let Them Read Books
Book Blast at Reading the Ages
Book Blast at Literary Chanteuse
Book Blast at Bibliophilia, Please

Tuesday, May 27
Review at A Bibliotaph's Reviews
Book Blast at Flashlight Commentary
Book Blast at To Read or Not to Read

Wednesday, May 28
Review at Carole's Ramblings and Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell

Thursday, May 29
Book Blast at The Maiden's Court
Book Blast at Cheryl's Book Nook
Book Blast at Book Reviews & More by Kathy

Friday, May 30
Review at WTF Are You Reading?
Book Blast at The Mad Reviewer
Book Blast at Curling Up by the Fire

Saturday, May 31
Book Blast at From L.A. to LA
Book Blast at Gobs and Gobs of Books

Sunday, June 1
Book Blast at Lily Pond Reads
Book Blast at So Many Books, So Little Time

Monday, June 2
Review & Giveaway at The Tudor Enthusiast
Book Blast at The Bookworm
Book Blast at CelticLady's Reviews

Tuesday, June 3
Review at Oh, For the Hook of a Book
Book Blast at West Metro Mommy
Book Blast at bookworm2bookworm's Blog

Wednesday, June 4
Review at The Wormhole
Interview at Oh, For the Hook of a Book
Book Blast at Kelsey's Book Corner

Thursday, June 5
Book Blast at Books and Benches
Book Blast at Book Lovers Paradise

Friday, June 6
Interview at Dianne Ascroft Blog
Book Blast at Kincavel Korner
Book Blast at Caroline Wilson Writes

Saturday, June 7
Book Blast at Royal Reviews
Book Blast at History Undressed

Sunday, June 8
Book Blast at Book Nerd

Monday, June 9
Review at A Chick Who Reads
Book Blast at The Musings of a Book Junkie

Tuesday, June 10
Review at She Reads Novels
Book Blast at Just One More Chapter
Book Blast at History From a Woman's Perspective

Wednesday, June 11
Review at Historical Fiction Obsession
Book Blast at Books in the Burbs

Thursday, June 12
Book Blast at Big Book, Little Book
Book Blast at Historical Fiction Notebook

Friday, June 13
Review at Susan Heim on Writing
Review at Svetlana's Reads and Views

Saturday, June 14
Book Blast at Hardcover Feedback
Book Blast at One Book at a Time

Sunday, June 15
Book Blast at Passages to the Past

Monday, June 16
Review at Layered Pages
Review at Starting Fresh
Review at Ageless Pages Reviews

Tuesday, June 17
Review at The Lit Bitch
Book Blast at Griperang's Bookmarks

Wednesday, June 18
Review & Giveaway at Luxury Reading
Book Blast at Princess of Eboli

Thursday, June 19
Review at A Bookish Affair
Review at Little Reader Library
Book Blast at Girl Lost in a Book

Friday, June 20
Review at Broken Teepee
Review at Jorie Loves a Story
Review at The Musings of ALMYBNENR
Guest Post & Giveaway at A Bookish Affair

Five on Friday (3)

I feel like I haven't been that great about blogging lately and a lot of little things seemed to slip through the cracks. So I decided to link up with Five on Friday to start to catch back up!

1. The boy and I made it back to Another Broken Egg cafe, which I think has become our favorite brunch location. Once again we split an order of their biscuit beignets, then I had pancakes with blackberries with a side of sausage and a scrambled egg.
2. Baton Rouge officially has a Costco and the boy and I celebrated with our first Costco run. Now while there's not a lot of thing we need in bulk with just the two of us we still had no problem spending a couple hundred there!
3. I made my mom's potato pie, which was number 60 on my 101 in 1001. Of course by I made, I mean the boy made and I supervised, but that's practically the same thing, right? (And for those curious the recipe came from Bistro Cooking by Patricia Wells.)
4. Speaking of my 101 in 1001 list I also joined a synagogue which is number 85 on the list. Of course my time's more than halfway finished, and I'm nowhere near halfway completed, but I'm hoping to have a post up soon with more details on that.
5. Last fall I was obsessed with Alex & Sierra on X-Factor and was so excited to see they released their new single. This isn't the official video, but instead the lyric video. Although I do think the puppets are adorable and don't think they need anything else. Plus the song is incredibly catchy and I can't stop singing it!

What are 5 things that you want to catch me up on in your life currently?

Back to Grazin

Back in March, I wrote about my first graze box, and I'm happy to say I have my second box to share!
Graze normally sends out boxes once a month, but I pushed this one back an extra month just to be sure it wouldn't arrive during Passover. After all, I knew I'd want to eat it all immediately, and just wanted to make sure I would be able to eat any bread products without waiting a week. Although I stand by my decision, I couldn't wait for those two months to go by and my snacks to arrive at the door.
One of the first snacks I tried was the Scrumptious Blueberry Swirl which included blueberry yoghurt raisins, raspberry infused cranberries and black currants. Unfortunately the yoghurt got a bit melted in transit, which you can tell because it wasn't pristine white. But it wasn't completely melted and didn't really change the taste.
Overall I did like this box, although not nearly as much as some of my favorites from the last shipment.
The next box was Cracking Black Pepper Cashews with black pepper cashews, roasted unsalted cashews and redskin peanuts.
This box was really only ok. I wasn't a huge fan of the black pepper cashews and the rest were normal nuts you could find anywhere else.
Unfortunately, I wasn't a fan of the Fruity Mango Chutney which included fruity mango chutney with black pepper dippers. I actually didn't even finish the chutney because I disliked it so much, and while the dippers were fine by themselves they definitely needed something else with them.
But ending on a good note, I was a big fan of the Fruit and Seed Flapjack which was a rustic rolled oat flapjack with mixed seeds and dried fruits.
I wasn't sure how I'd feel about these, but they actually wound up being my favorite of the box. Although compared to all 8 snacks I've received from Graze they would probably still only be my 4th favorite.
Overall I wasn't a huge fan of this months selection, and if this had been my first box likely wouldn't have continued. But after starting with such a positive experience I'm willing to give it another shot, and this time I'm only waiting a month in between boxes!

Which of these snacks looks like one you'd most enjoy?

Also, if you want to try graze you can sign up here to get your 1st and 5th box free! This post is not sponsored by Graze, however if you sign up using my referral link I'll receive $1 off my next box. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Blessed and the Cursed

The Heiresses by Sara Shepard
Published: May 20, 2014 by Harper
I've never read a Sara Shepard book, nor seen an episode of the tv shows based on them. I've been told countless times I would love them, and while I'm sure that's true, I just haven't made the time for her. It doesn't help that's there's so many Pretty Little Liar books or so many seasons of the tv show. But sure, eventually I'd like to read her. Which is why I jumped at the chance to review her newest book. Especially knowing this is the first of the series, so I'd get in on the ground floor.

I went into this expecting a YA book. I know that Shepard has written adult books before, but that definitely isn't her norm. So imagine my surprise when I learned that all the characters were in their 20s. Definitely a pleasant one for me, since it made it more related as a person in their 20s, and I think likely more believable as well.

There are 5 Saybrook heiresses and while the story is only told from the point of view of 3 of them, it still started out a bit confusing. Thankfully there was a family tree to refer back to, but after each girl had a chapter or two I didn't even need to reference it. The girls had the range of socialite types filled out from the Paris Hilton partier to Dylan Lauren businesswoman. Although my favorite of them all had to be the tomboy-ish Rowan.

As I expected with a Sara Shepard book there's a big mystery in here with tons of twists and turns. It definitely had me captivated. It's actually been a long time since I wanted to sit down and read a book ignoring everything else as I did with this. And maybe somewhat surprisingly it doesn't end with a cliffhanger. Instead it ends with two different cliffhangers! I'm pretty sure that there's going to at least be a sequel, if not a whole series of these books, and I definitely plan on continuing through the ups and downs.

4.5/5

Disclosure: I was provided this book through TLC Book Tours. All opinions expressed are my own.

Cowboy Rides Away

For the best 5 years on Memorial Day weekend there's been a big country music festival at LSU's Tiger's Stadium. I haven't had the chance to go, at least until this year.

Chris Young - Who I Am With YouThis year the boy and I were lucky enough to be taken with my MIL and FIL, and overall I think we all had a great time. The night started off with Chris Young, who I had heard of, but wasn't sure I knew his songs. Except come to find out I did recognize most of his music, I just wouldn't have been able to tell you before hand, "This is a Chris Young song."

Reba - Because of YouNext was Reba, and while I did know most of her recent songs, I was surprised at how much of her older music was new to me.
She finished her act and people starting leaving, but quickly made it back to as Reba returned, costume change and all for Fancy.

Reba - FancyExcept Reba, wasn't actually the headliner. Which makes you wonder whose bigger than Reba? Well, none other than George Strait in his third last concert ever.
Overall it was a great time, although I will say football stadium seats aren't made for a 4 plus hour concert. It was one of the most uncomfortable concerts I've been to, but even so, I'd go back next year... just make sure to sit on the field instead!

George Strait - Check Yes or NowWho did you see at your last concert?

Days of Blended

X-Men: Days of Future Past
While I've seen all the more recent X-men spin-offs, I never actually saw the original trilogy. In some ways that could have put me at a disadvantage for this, but the main action was all in the past, and instead the modern day heros were almost cameos. I could see some being disappointed by this, but it was perfect for me.

I did really enjoy this, although I'm not sure if I'd say it was better than First Class. But it's still action packed and a lot of fun. And I'd still love to go back and watch the original trilogy to get myself all caught up.

Blended
Being an Adam Sandler movie you'd think you know what to expect with this. Except yes it's hilarious, but it doesn't have the over-the-top-gone-too-far element which I think is a good thing. I actually wound up loving this movie. I found myself laughing after scene after scene, but also adored the more dramatic scenes. I even found myself crying at points.

I will say it came with some of the most random trailers. First for Seth Macfarlane's A Million Ways to Die in the West, which actually made sense since it seems to go after the same demographic. Then there was the new Transformer movie, which would have made sense when Adam Sandler appealed to teenage boys, except this is much more of a family movie. But the game changer was The Fault in Our Stars preview, which while Blended is basically a romantic comedy, still didn't quite feel right. But not nearly as out of place as the trailer for If I Stay, which was the first time I saw it, and now I can't wait to see.

So while I was happy with the previews, it didn't quite fit the movie. In a way it makes sense knowing how poorly the movie did in theaters. Based on the trailers, they didn't quite know how to market it, so it seems no one showed up.

Maybe somewhat surprising, and not what I would have predicted, but the movie I'd rather see again is Blended. It's definitely the type of movie you expect to see playing all the time on tv. So even if you don't catch it in theaters, you'll probably still have the chance to see it.

Before it Was Music City {Giveaway}

A Beauty So Rare by Tamera Alexander
Published: March 25, 2014 by Bethany House
Series: Belmont Mansion #2
I don't read very many historical romance books, and I read even less historical Christian romance books. But even so, they're a nice change of pace, as was this one. It's about an "old maid," or a 29-year-old, Eleanor Braddock, who goes to live with her aunt at Belmont Mansion in Nashville after the Civil War. While their she meets Marcus Gottfried, an under gardener working for her aunt, expect Marcus is actually an archduke of Austria trying to escape his life while he still can. And I'm guessing you can figure out where the story goes from there.

As you might expect the whole thing is rather adorable. Yes, there are time you want to pull your hair out because if people would actually say what they're thinking everything would be resolved so much sooner. Except then the book would likely end by page 10 or so. And I did love hearing about the society of Nashville in the 1800s. Although I was a little shocked about how well everyone seemed to be doing, especially when I compare it do the plight of society in my favorite, Gone with the Wind.

But still, it wasn't quite the perfect book. It felt far longer than it really needed to be. I understand keeping characters apart, but halfway through I wondered what else there really was to tell.

Also, I had a few minor complaints with one of the smaller characters Eleanor helps out. She decides to cook a meal for a widow and her won that are Jewish and mentions that she avoids pork because she's not sure if they'll eat it. Instead she cooks them beef with creamed potatoes. While each by itself would be kosher, I find it hard to believe Jews in the 1800s would ignore such a basic kosher rule. Of course I don't know a lot about the history of kashrut and I do realize this is marketed to a Christian audience, but still, it felt a little off to me.

All complaining aside though, I really enjoyed this book and I would love to be able to visit Belmont Mansion in Nashville someday (which is a real place). I'd also be more than willing to read the other books in the series, partly to check in on Eleanor and Marcus, but really because I loved this setting.

4/5

I'm happy to say if you want to travel back in time to Nashville in the 1800s you're about to have your chance! I'm giving away 1 copy of this book to one lucky reader. (US and Canada only.) Please use the rafflecopter form below to enter!
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Disclosure: I was provided this book through TLC Book Tours. All opinions expressed are my own.

Monday Movie Review

Godzilla
I may not have seen a ton of Godzilla movies, but obviously you can't escape knowing something about the story. Even so, I wound up being pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this.

In some ways there was a bit of a twist to the movie. Although talking to the boy that twist is far more common in Godzilla movies than I realized.

I also was a fan of Elizabeth Olsen in this. I know she's been in several more indie type movies, but this is the first movie I can remember seeing with her in it. I thought she was great in it, and love how she's coming out of her sisters' shadow.

Overall I do think this is a movie that's meant for a big theater. We actually even wound up seeing it in 3-D, and I consider it to have been worth it. Although it's not necessarily something you need to run out and see, I get the feeling if you do, you won't be disappointed.

Mailbox Monday (77)

It's been a busy week of books here. One I wasn't necessarily expecting, but much appreciated nonetheless. As always, I'm linking up with Mailbox Monday to share the books I've recently added to my shelves.
Won from Savy Verse & Wit
The Frangipani Hotel by Violet Kupersmith
From what I can tell this is a bunch of interconnected stories that take place in Vietnam. I don't really know much about it, but it does look intriguing.

From Paperback Swap
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
I've already read and loved this book. But the copy I read was borrowed from a friend, and this is the type of book that you need to own. So now, just in time for the movie, I can officially say I do.

For Review from TLC Book Tours
A Triple Knot by Emma Campion
First can we take a minute to capture how pretty this cover is. And this is only an ARC of it! This is a historical fiction about Joan of Kent the niece of King Edward III. I've read a lot of English history, but not sure I can remember anything else from the court of Edward III, so I'm definitely excited for this.

Unsolicited
Helena Rubinstein by Michele Fitoussi
I can't ever remember receiving a book unsolicited, so I was in a little disbelief when this arrived. Although it is from a marketing agency I've worked with before, I can't deny how excited I was. This is a biography of a woman who according to the cover invented beauty. She's someone I've never heard of before, but I'm definitely curious to learn more.

From Goodreads
The Saint by Tiffany Reisz
This looks to be some type of thriller, with a bit of Fifty Shades thrown in. At least that's the vibe I'm getting from it, so we'll see what it actually holds.

The Bridesmaid's Best Man by Susanna Carr
So I realize this may not go down as a literary classic, but you can't deny that it looks like a lot of fun, right?

What did you find in your mailbox this week?

On the Set of Cleopatra

Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walters
Published: June 4, 2012 by Harper Perennial
I didn't really know what I was getting into when I started this book, but I think that's the way to do it. Yes, you could try to summarize it, but there's so much happening that's it's not really going to capture it. I will say it does have a bit of a dual timeline with parts in Italy in 1962, and the other today in Hollywood. But there's also scenes bridge the two sections in various times and locations.

The story isn't really told linearly, and knowing that and how much happens I'm surprised how easily it read and made sense. I do think the first half read slower, but slow like a long lazy day at the beach. But once I got to the last 100 pages or so I really didn't want to put it down.

I loved how every story line was wrapped up so neatly at the end. Normally with a book like this you really only get closure on the main characters. But here every character, no matter how small their part, got their nice pretty bow as well.

This was a book that's easy to fall in love with and perfect for a warm summer day. In fact reading it I can't help but dream of escaping to a small little town on the coast of Italy.

5/5

Today I'm linking up with Blonde Undercover Blonde for Book Club Friday!

The Untold Story of Noah's Wife

Sinners and the Sea by Rebecca Kanner
Published: April 2, 2013 by Howard Books
I think we can all say we know the story of Noah's Ark. But yet, while we know the basic story, there isn't quite enough there to flesh out an entire novel. I came into this really curious to see what big twists and turns I'd fun, but actually it's the same basic story. Obviously there are a few additions, but the biggest change is how developed all the characters become.

I was surprised at how dark everything one. After all you can't think about Noah without humming a jolly song or two. But when you think about what it had to be like to see the world around you end, it makes sense that it isn't a bright, cheery story. You normally expect this to be a black and white story between good and evil. But instead there's good in some of the sinners lost, but almost more surprising are some of the character flaws in Noah and his family.

I know that this is this author's first book, which gets me excited for what else is to come. She's supposed to be working on a book about Queen Esther which I can't wait to read especially after seeing how she's able to take such a familiar story and turn it into something almost suspenseful and captivating.

4/5

I'm happy to say that if this book excites you there's a way to win your own copy! To enter to win one of 2 copies of Sinners and the Sea or a $25 Amazon Gift Card, please complete the Rafflecopter giveaway form below. Giveaway is open internationally.

Giveaway ends at 11:59pm on May 29th. You must be 18 or older to enter. Winners will be chosen via Rafflecopter on May 30th and notified via email. Winners have 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.
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Disclosure: I was provided this book through Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours. All opinions expressed are my own.

Mailbox Monday (76)

Yes, it's Sunday, and yes, I'm linking up with Mailbox Monday once again.
Purchased
How to Get Out of Your Own Way by Tyrese Gibson
This may not be the type of book I'd normally pick up, but it's our book club pick for the month. And there's something about book clubs that force you to take a step out of your comfort zone. I can't say I'm necessarily looking forward to it, but I am hoping that it surprises me.

What did you find in your mailbox this week? And when was the last time you read a book outside of your comfort zone?

Does Whatever a Spider Can

The Amazing Spiderman 2
It interesting going back and reading my review of the last spiderman movie, I know I liked it, but I don't particularly remember it. I have a feeling this will be similar, because while I enjoyed it, I don't see it sticking.

Jamie Foxx's Electro was probably my favorite part. I just though he was a really unique villain , and loved how his story was built.

I also wasn't too surprised by the ending, especially with all they hype surrounding it. But even so, I did bring me to tears.

Already I can't list this as my favorite movie of the summer, but I did enjoy it, and only hope they decide to bring Shailene Woodley back as Mary Jane in the next movie.

April in Review

I realize I'm a few days late her, but at least I'm managing a monthly recap. So there's that...

In April...
...We made it back to an LSU baseball game, this time for a far more pleasant experience where the Tigers won.

...I don't normally talk about my job on the blog, but I did want to say I had a pretty big promotion fairly recently, and couldn't let it pass unnoticed here. It is pretty exciting, and can't wait to really get into the thick of it.
... For the first time ever I participated in Dewy's 24 hour read-a-thon. I may not have read too much or too long relative to others, but I still consider it a success. The photo above is my lunch during the read-a-thon with a bowl of Amy's Black Bean Chili.
...I made it back to Fat Cow Burger this time trying their Sicilian Burger. Although next time I really need to try their Hundred Dollar Burger.

...I posted reviews of 7 books and 5 movies.
Comfort of Fences by Stacy Overman Morrison
When the Cypress Whispers by Yvette Manessis Corporon
The Last Original Wife by Dorothea Benton Frank
The Idea of Him by Holly Peterson
Driving Lessons by Zoe Fishman
The Collector of Dying Breaths by M.J. Rose
On the Rocks by Erin Duffy
Divergent
Bad Words
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Draft Day
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Normally my favorite is the best book I read, but this time it's actually a movie. I'd list Captain America as my favorite, but still loved both Divergent and The Grand Budapest Hotel.

...3 years ago, in 2011, I woke up early and even took the day off work to watch Will & Kate's wedding.
In this photo not only can you see my breakfast cinnamon roll, but also Kate's limo driving to the church.

What are some of your highlights from this past April?

Mailbox Monday (75)

Alas, another weekend has come to its end. But at least a small highlight is that I have new books to share with Mailbox Monday!
From Goodreads
Take This Man by Brando Skyhorse
In this memoir, the author's Mexican father abandoned him and his mother when he was only 3-years-old. His mother then decides to take their lives into her own hands, and raises her son as the child of an American Indian father. It's only as an adult when Brando decides to learn about his past and discovers the truth. This does sound like a really interesting tale about finding oneself and your personal identity, and so far, I'm intrigued by it.

What did you find in your mailbox this week?

The Facebook Break-Up

On the Rocks by Erin Duffy
Published: April 22, 2014 by William Morrow
One reason I absolutely loved Duffy's last book, Bond Girl, was because it was so different from everything out yet. Yes, it had a touch of chick lit in it, but it was more about your first job out of college, fitting in and trying to figure out "grown up life". I loved that aspect of it. But unfortunately this didn't quite have that spark factor. That's not to say I didn't enjoy it, because I did. But this doesn't have just a touch of chick lit, instead it's almost the definition.

I was all set to come into my review and say the whole thing was completely predictable. Except, I wound up being surprised by a few twists and turns. I was positive and knew how several plot lines would end, and while I came close on one, I was completely off on the another. So it does have that going for it.

The whole thing also feels incredibly relevant. Our main character, whose fiance breaks up with her over facebook, spends the rest of the story figuring out how to jump back into the dating scene after 10 years away from it. I can't help but think that if I was forced to start dating again now, my experiences would be awfully similar. It is a bit crazy to thing how much technology has changed dating in such a short period of time, but I guess that's how life works some times.

If you've enjoyed Sophie Kinsella books, I'd imagine you'd like this one too. And actually I think there's a bit more substance here than you'd find in a Kinsella book. Yes, I was a little disappointed, but I do think if I hadn't come into it with such high expectations I would have enjoyed myself quite a bit more.

4/5

Disclosure: I was provided this book through TLC Book Tours. All opinions expressed are my own.