Book and Product Reviews by Roundtable Reviews

Release Date - June 2014 Helen Walsh Doubleday Book Review by Tracy Farnsworth I knew the premise of The Lemon Grove going in. Jenn, the main character, and her husband Greg have been married for over a decade and Jenn sees the magic is waning. Regardless, they head off to a charming Majorca village for their annual vacation. This time, Greg's daughter is bringing her boyfriend, despite Greg's unease. I admit, I was fooled here. Greg's daughter (Jenn's stepdaughter) is not as old as I was expecting. Emma is 15. They don't trust her to live alone when they head out to Majorca before her, they have her stay with her grandmother, yet it's okay if she brings a boyfriend on the trip and flies alone with him. Would I let my 18-year-old daughter bring her boyfriend along on a family vacation? Yes. Would I have let her when she was 15? Never! Now, the characters are British, so there is a difference. At 15, British kids are finishing up school and can then

Release Date - July 2014 Laura Lane McNeal Pamela Dorman Books Book Review by Tracy Farnsworth Liberty "Ibby" Bell is only 12 when her mother drops her off at her grandmother's New Orleans home. Ibby is grieving the tragic death of her father and isn't happy that she's moving in with a woman she's never met. Fannie isn't a typical grandmother, however, and soon Ibby finds herself embraced in a home where nothing is to be expected. Fannie has her secrets and regrets. Despite her demeanor, she adores Ibby and loves that she has a part of her son with her. Along with Fannie are her cook, Queenie; Queenie's sassy, somewhat strong-willed daughter, Dollbaby; and Dollbaby's daughter,who is just about Ibby's age. As Ibby gets to know her new family, she still longs for her mother, who simply doesn't seem to want to return. The story progresses into a coming-of-age story for Ibby in which she learns family secrets, the things that have

Release Date - June 2014 Alafair Burke Harper Book Review by Bob Walch Incarcerated for nearly two decades for the serial murders of six women, Anthony Amaro is about to have his case revisited. A recent killing of a psychotherapist has raised some serious questions about Amaro’s case. Now two investigations are delving into the past to see if there has been a serious miscarriage of justice. On one hand there’s Carrie Blank, whose half-sister was supposedly killed by the imprisoned man. She joins a legal team formed to exonerate Amaro only because she wants the real killer uncovered and this may be the best way of doing so. NYPD Detective Ellie Hatcher along with her partner, JJ Rogan, are also assigned to the case to reassess the first investigation to see if and where it went off the tracks.    As these two quite different groups of individuals delve through the conflicting pieces of evidence, they’ll be drawn to Carrie Bank’s hometown where some

Release Date - June 24, 2014 Kate White Harper Book Review by Tracy Farnsworth Former Cosmopolitan editor in chief, Kate White's been writing bestselling fiction novels for a number of years. If you haven't discovered her books, give them a try. Eyes on You is probably my favorite to date. Robin Trainer is working her way up the ladder. She's co-anchor of a new television show and her new book is bringing in many sales. Despite all the good things happening in her life, someone has it out for her. It starts as a threatening note and progresses to slashed book covers, a dead water beetle left in her coffee, a drugged brownie, and an ominous Barbie with its eyes scratched out. Robin suspects it is a jealous co-worker, but soon the tables turn and the powers that be decide that Robin is doing it to herself. She knows she's being framed, but no one seems to believe her. Not knowing who she can trust, Robin must figure out who wants her out the way. I predict

Release Date - July 2014 Amanda Kyle Williams Bantam Book Review by Bob Walch Meticulous planning goes into his abductions. He stalks and patiently waits before he strikes. Then he holds his victims for an inordinate length of time before he kills them. This is the sociopath Keye Street, a ex-FBI profiler and private investigator, has gone to a town 90 miles outside of Atlanta to find.    The remains of teenage girls have been found in the woods outside the town and the local authorities led by Sheriff Ken Meltzer, have agreed that some outside assistance and expertise would be in order. As Keye tries to connect the sparse pieces of evidence, a third girl goes missing. Now the stakes are much higher; in fact, this almost appears to be a challenge. “Stop me if you can but time is running out!” might well be the killer’s taunt. As she works Keye has an uncanny feeling that she is being watched by more than just the local law establishment. She a

Release Date - August 26, 2014 Susan Elizabeth Phillips William Morrow Book Review by Tracy Farnsworth Susan Elizabeth Phillips latest novel is definitely one I'm glad I didn't miss. It has a gothic feel, at times reminding me a bit of Jane Eyre and other times reminding me of Wuthering Heights , yet there's also a splash of Rebecca thrown in. In the end, Heroes Are My Weakness was addicting and lured me away from my work so that I could get the the bottom of things. Heroes Are My Weakness features Annie Hewitt, a ventriloquist who returns to her mom's island cabin in the heart of winter, not a good time to be in Maine. With her mother's death, it's up to her for Annie knows the terms of the cabin have always been that they must reside in the cabin for 60 days a year, or they lose ownership. Theo Harp once held Annie's heart, but that was long ago. His cruel act when they were teenagers proved the kind of man he actually was, and he's no

Release Date - June 24, 2014 Patti Callahan Henry St. Martin's Press Book Review by Tracy Farnsworth Eve Morrison owns her own letterpress company and her husband owns a thriving electronic magazine. Together, they are a well-known couple in Savannah, Georgia, a couple that many long to associate with. Outward appearances are not always accurate. One night, Eve is working when police stop by to say her husband and sister were in an accident. Her sister is in a coma with swelling of the brain, her husband is saying her sister was drunk and grabbed the wheel. When doctors say her sister's blood tests were clear of any alcohol or drugs, Eve is confused. Why is her husband lying? Eve's teen daughter is another issue. She's rebelling against everyone, except Eve's sister, and now with Willa in the hospital, everything seems to be unraveling. It's time for secrets to be revealed, and for Eve to decide what the future will hold for her family. The Stories

Release Date - August 13, 2014 Ray Fawkes Oni Press Book Review by Tracy Farnsworth The People Inside is a unique graphic novel. It's one that delves away from the typical plots I see - superheroes, monsters, other worlds, or Anime. Instead, it takes a look at the relationships couples face from the meeting their eyes meet to the final moment when a relationship comes to an end. With each relationship, the different men and women learn more about what really defines them, whether it is the children they have, the love they have for one another, or realizing the moment has come when they are better off alone. Award-winning artist and writer Ray Fawkes earned high praise with his 2012 release One Soul . Like The People Inside , it focused on relationships and humanity. I missed that one, but I'm glad I took the time to read his latest. I found myself drawn to some couples, as I knew what they were going through. Others, I found myself hoping they would realize what the

Release Date - July 8, 2014 Stephanie Evanovich William Morrow Chase and Amanda, the couple focused on in The Sweet Spot , apparently gained their popularity in Stephanie Evanovich's Big Girl Panties , a book I never read. Therefore, the couple were completely new to me, as was the author. At the start of The Sweet Spot , Amanda owns a popular restaurant and is a little taken aback when Chase, a star ball player, chooses her restaurant. He quickly becomes fixated with Amanda and keeps returning until she agrees to go out on a date with him. As Amanda soon learns, Chase doesn't like being disappointed. His disappointment comes with a cost, one that shocks Amanda to the core at first. A scandal eventually hits and Amanda must decide if being involved with a celebrity is worth the media attention. The Sweet Spot is not what I expected. I loved the romance between Amanda and Chase at first, but eventually as Chase's true nature comes to light, I really didn't lik

Release Date - August 5, 2014 Radhika Sanghani Berkley Trade Book Review by Tracy Farnsworth From time to time, I come across a book that is so refreshing I can't help but read it in one sitting. I ended up taking part of the afternoon off from my editing work so that I could finish Virgin in one sitting. Ellie is 21, about to finish college, and not thrilled that she's still a virgin. Her first experience at the age of 17 ended badly, without ever going anywhere. She decides her goal before graduation is to lose her virginity. What follows is an honest, often hilarious look at the things women go through, the perceived attitudes about virginity and sex, and even friendships. I was laughing out loud when Ellie decided to groom her pubes. That was the start of a book that had me laughing, agreeing, and definitely nodding along with parts of it. I think every women out there has experienced some of the things Ellie experiences. It's the honesty that appealed t

Release Date - June 17, 2014 Jennifer Murphy Doubleday Book Review by Tracy Farnsworth Twelve-year-old Picasso Lane's life changes when her father is murdered. As is true of most murders, her mother is the first prime suspect,  but that changes when police find her father had not one but three wives. Any one of them could have done it. As Piper and her mother bond with the lead detective, Piper slowly starts to unravel the things she knows regarding the murder and the secrets her father had been keeping. I Love You More is quit addicting. It's told from three viewpoints: Picasso, the Wives, and Detective Kyle Kennedy. There is one more viewpoint, that of Picasso's father, but it comes into play much later and only one time, so I won't focus on it.  From the first page, I was hooked. I delve into any mystery novel to see if I can solve it before the detectives, and in this case, I was right, yet the author still threw a curve that I didn't see coming. I

Release Date - July 2014 Ann Hamilton Sourcebooks Book Review by Tracy Farnsworth "What makes a book impossible to put down?" I came across that post on my Facebook feed yesterday and instantly knew the answer. There must be an immediate connection to one or both main characters. Ann Hamilton nailed it with her debut, Expecting .  It's likely you already know some of Ann Hamilton's other work. She's an award-winning writer, director, and producer who's worked on shows like Thirtysomething, Party of Five, Gray's Anatomy , and my current viewing addiction, Haven . Her debut novel takes readers into the world of Laurie and Alan. After struggling to become pregnant, Laurie miscarries multiple times. With the help of a fertility doctor, Laurie is pregnant again, but her and Alan's world is torn apart when they learn there was a mix up with the sperm. Laurie is carrying another man's baby. Alan is not handling the news well, and Laurie

Release Date - July 29, 2014 Daisy Goodwin St. Martin's Press Book Review by Tracy Farnsworth The Fortune Hunter is a fictional story based on Austria's Empress Elizabeth (Sisi), wife of the much older Emperor Franz Joseph and her friendship with Captain Bay Middleton, a man she hires as her pilot. Bay is a skilled horseman and suitor of Charlotte Baird, a wealthy heiress who honestly loves Bay. When the Earl of Spencer invites Sisi on his famous hunt, Bay is asked to go along. His growing relationship with Sisi could destroy the relationship he has with Charlotte, as well as impact many others at the same time. While many women fawn over royalty, I grew up in a household where my mom always pointed out the rules Royals must obey. What many in the media and forums count as a stuffy attitude, it is how Royals are raised to behave. Given that, I've never seen the fascination with Prince Charles, Queen Elizabeth, and the recent generations. Based on that, I struggl

Release Date - August 2014 Lynn Hugo Blank Slate Press Book Review by Tracy Farnsworth A Matter of Mercy is based loosely on a court case involving landowners along the coast and the men who farm the sea for clams and oysters. Using that basis, author Lynn Hugo spins a romantic suspense tale that I found had its ups and downs. Caroline (CiCi) Marcum, grew up in Wellfleet, became a teacher, and ended up ruining her life. When her husband asked for a divorced, Caroline had a drink, got in the car, and hit a woman as she was getting her son out of the car. The young boy didn't survive and Caroline went to jail for DUI. She's back in Wellfleet, Massachusetts. Home to care for her dying mother. Rid is one of a line of sea farmers. Despite what his grant may say, Rid and his friends are being sued by a rich landowner. The landowner claims he owns the land where Rid grows and harvests his oysters and that makes the grant invalid. Sea farming is the only career Rid has, a