NOTE: I received a complimentary copy of this book in return for my honest review.
Book Description: When fate offers Gwynn Powell a chance to start over, she jumps at the chance. Laid off and living with a husband whose gambling problem has eaten through a good part of their savings, Gwynn buys a farmhouse sight unseen, leaving both her marriage and her old home behind.
But fate has more in mind for Gwynn than just a new home. The farmhouse, tucked away in the Green Mountains of Vermont where even GPS can’t find it, is also a step back in time. And Slate Peck, the farm’s caretaker and part owner, is tied to Gwynn’s destiny in ways she never expected.
Review: In anyone else's hands this plot may very well have come off as corny, but Ute Carbone handled it beautifully, crafting an amazing story of love and destiny. I loved Gwynn and Slate's rocky beginning and seeing how they slowly warmed up to each other. The only problem with this novella is that it is just too short. I felt as though I was just beginning to really get into the story when it suddenly came to an end. I would have liked a more detailed history of their ancestors. I would have liked to see how the pair dealt with their new life together; especially Gwynn who was so suddenly thrust into a world so unfamiliar to her. I would love to see another novella (or even better, a full-length novel) in a series based on The Whispers of Time.
Jessa's Rating: 4 1/2 out of 5 stars
NOTE: I recieved a complimentary copy of this book in return for my honest review.
Book Description: Nikki Silva feels like she’s blown up her life even as her brothers tease her about blowing up a boat called the Mona Lisa. Divorced, funding for her shark research cut off, she’s moved back to Provincetown to live with her father in her childhood home. Nikki hopes to regain herself. She’s written a grant proposal for the newly formed Massachusetts Bay Commission to fund a study that will get her back to the sort of research she loves. The commission is run by her ex-husband Ned, who would rather have a migraine than give money to his ex-wife.
Marco Tornetti wants to turn a hole-in-the-wall Newark spaghetti joint into a trendy bistro. His silent partner, Fat Phil Lagosa, wants to use the place to meet questionable people for questionable business deals. When Fat Phil accuses Marco of a double cross and has him taken for a ride by one of his hit men, Marco knows he’s in too deep.
Marco escapes the hit man and takes the first bus out of the Tri-state area, a bus chartered by the Greater Teaneck Gay Men’s Choir and headed for Provincetown. Marco figures that Phil would never look for him in Provincetown‘s gay community. But when he meets Nikki and falls hard for her, he finds that pretending to be gay isn’t as easy as it would seem.
Review: The very first word that pops into my head when searching for ways to describe The P-Town Queen is quirky. Ute Carbone has a real knack for telling light-hearted romantic tales with just the right amount of humor thrown into the mix. The characters are all fairly likeable and realistic, but I felt that they lacked distinct personality traits. With the exception of Nick and maybe Jeremy, the rest of the characters sort of blended together. The novel did drag in a few places, but it was still a fun read. I'd read the book again simply for the parts concerning the whale. I won't give anything away, but I haven't laughed so far in a long time.
Jessa's Review: 3 stars out of 5
NOTE: I received a complimentary copy of this book in return for my honest review.
Book Description: India Othmar isn’t having a great year. Her husband of thirty-one years has left her for their son’s ex-girlfriend. Her grown children have moved home. Her best friend Eva seems determined to set her up with every oddball in their small Massachusetts town. And her most significant relationship these days is with Cherry Garcia.
But India is more resilient than she thinks. And though it will take a broken arm, a lawn littered with engine parts, some creative uses for shoes, and a scandalous love affair of her own, she learns, much to her surprise, that her life hasn’t ended with her marriage.
Review: At times funny, at times touching, and always real. We, as the readers, witness India's descent into an ice cream filled depression after her marriage of 30 years comes to an end and then her struggle to find herself in her newfound singleness, and her discovery that maybe life and love doesn't end at 52. The characters in Afterglow are all clearly defined; each with their own sets of strengths and flaws. The story is fast-paced and fun. I couldn't help but be drawn in; silently cheering India on through one adventure (or misadventure?) to the next.
Jessa's Review: 4 out of 5 stars
About the Author: Ute Carbone pronounces her first name Oohtah, but doesn't spell it that way. She lives with her husband in Southern NH, where she spends her days drinking coffee, eating chocolate, walking in the woods, and dreaming up stories. Learn more at her website HERE. Want to read Ute Carbone's wonderful books? Purchase them HERE.
Note: This post originally appeared on Once Upon A Book HERE on March 11th, 2013.
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