Review: 'Borrowing Trouble' by Mae Wood (2016)

Lust or love? Can Marisa even tell the difference? 
Juggling a new boyfriend who is constantly MIA for work, his mom who likes her just a little too much, a best friend whose husband might be sneaking around, and a busy career saving clients from sexual harassment lawsuits is pulling Marisa Tanner apart at the seams. Being with Trip is good, but is it real? Will he bail on her like her past boyfriends or for once in his life will Trip be able to maintain focus longer than the time it takes to close a business deal?
After being away for a few weeks, I'm glad to let you all know A Spoonful of Happy Endings is back up and running again! I shared a few reviews and posts with you during my summer stop, but I'll be getting back into my usual routine from now on, especially since there are still plenty of review books waiting for me! Today I've got a review to share with all of you, namely one of Mae Wood's 'Borrowing Trouble', the sequel to her novel 'Risking Ruin' which I read and reviewed last year (click here to read my review). I was curious to read more from this author and also to see what had happened to main characters Marisa and Trip!
Marisa Tanner still can't quite believe she is actually making things work with her handsome boyfriend Trip. Her experiences with her ex-boyfriends weren't the best ones, so she can't help but have her doubts about Trip as well; will he eventually run away or is he really in this for the long run? While struggling to run away from possible heartbreak or give things a go, Marisa also has other things to deal with, such as a mother-in-law who seems to be crazy about her, problems in her best friend's marriage, and her busy career. Will Marisa be able to make sense of it all or is it just too much to handle...?
In this contemporary romance read by author Mae Wood the reader is, once again, invited to join Marisa and Trip, both characters that were introduced in the author's novel 'Risking Ruin.' Marisa and Trip are now a couple who are trying to make it work in our modern day and age, but Marisa can't help but have her doubts. Is this really what she wants and could it be that Trip is more dedicated to the relationship than she is at this moment in time? This is really what the story mainly focuses on, which on the one hand interested me, because I was curious to discover whether Marisa and Trip would manage to make it work between them after everything that happened in the first novel of the series, but on the other hand it also made the book feel a bit one-sided without too much going on.
The story of Marisa and Trip's relationship is a realistic one, and one I enjoyed reading about, but next to this there was nothing big to keep the storyline going, which I thought was a bit of a shame. The author's writing is easy to get into and comfortable to read and I didn't ever feel like wanting to stop reading, but I was waiting for something to catch my attention and make me curious, something to make this novel stand out from others, which unfortunately just didn't happen. Don't get me wrong, I definitely did enjoy reading 'Borrowing Trouble' and can recommend it to women's fiction fans (I'd advise to read 'Risking Ruin' first, though), but I couldn't help but find the storyline of the novel a bit flat and personally had expected more of this sequel.

Rating:7,5/10

  For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads
Thanks to the author for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Upcoming Release: 'The House on Sunset Lake' by Tasmina Perry!

A family secret. A house in ruin. A mystery to unravel...

Casa D'Or, the mysterious plantation house on Sunset Lake, has been in the Wyatt family for over fifty years. Jennifer Wyatt returns there from university full of hope, as summer by the lake stretches ahead of her. Yet by the time it is over her heart will be broken, her family in tatters, her dreams long gone.

Twenty years later, Casa D'Or stands neglected, a victim of tragic events. Jennifer has closed the door on her past. Then Jim, the man she met and fell in love with that magical summer, comes back into her life, with a plan to return Casa D'Or to its former glory. Their reunion will stir up old ghosts for both of them, and reveal the dark secrets the house still holds close...

I love Tasmina Perry. She's one of my favourite authors and a great one, because she really knows how to write novels that include it all: a bit of mystery, a captivating plot with an interesting group of characters, and a touch of romance. I am really excited about the release of 'The House on Sunset Lake' on August 25th and can't wait to get my hands on a copy of this book!

Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads

Review: 'Those Secrets We Keep' by Emily Liebert (2015)

Three women. Three lives. Three secrets.
On the surface, Sloane has the perfect life—an adoring husband, a precocious daughter, and enough financial security to be a stay-at-home mom. Still, she can’t help but feel as though something—or someone—is missing....
Hillary has a successful career and a solid marriage. The only problem is her inability to conceive. And there’s a very specific reason why....
As the wild-child daughter of old family money, Georgina has never had to accept responsibility for anything. So when she realizes an unexpected life change could tie her down forever, she does exactly what she’s always done: escape.
When these three women unite for a three-week-long summer vacation in beautiful Lake George, New York, even with the idyllic location as their backdrop, the tensions begin to mount. And they quickly discover that no secret can be kept forever....

I’m quite excited about the review I get to share with all of you today, since it is a review of a book I have been looking forward to reading for ages. It was actually already released in June 2015 and I honestly have no idea why it took me so long to finally pick it up! I’ve loved Emily Liebert since I read and reviewed her debut novel ‘You Knew Me When’ a few years ago (click here to read my review) and since then I’ve read and loved all of her other novels, namely ‘When We Fall’ and most recently, ‘Some Women’ (click here to read my review). I just love Emily’s writing style and her novels are just wonderful reads that always leave me with a smile on my face. So, today, way too late but better late than never, I suppose, my review of ‘Those Secrets We Keep’ (once again a book with a gorgeous book cover, like most of Emily’s novels, I have to say)!
Sloane seems to have built the perfect life for herself with her loving husband, a beautiful family home, and a lovely daughter. However, since the untimely death of her sister Sloane can’t help but feel her life just isn’t what she thought it was and she doesn’t know what to do about it. When given the opportunity to spend some time at her aunt’s beautiful home near Lake George, Sloane knows that is exactly what she needs and together with her best friend Hillary they leave Brookside behind, ready for a break from it all. When Sloane’s college friend Georgina unexpectedly phones and decides to join them as well, it suddenly becomes a holiday from three. Three women, all with a secret to hide, but how long will these stay hidden…?
I’ve loved all of Emily Liebert’s novels so far, so I have to admit I picked up ‘Those Secrets We Keep’ with pretty high expectations. Luckily, Emily once again didn’t disappoint and managed to entertain me from start to finish with this 2015 release of her. The book focuses on three different women: Sloane, Hillary and Georgina; three women who spend two weeks holiday at Lake George together, each of them with a secret to hide that is bound to come out. I won’t go into the details, because I don’t want to give too much away, but I loved how the novel included three separate storylines to focus on, with three very different but just as interesting female characters at its core. I personally warmed to Hillary the most, but I enjoyed reading about Sloane and Georgina just as much.
Emily Liebert’s books have this specific feel to them; I can’t really explain it. Perhaps it has to do with the very American setting of her novels, or just her comfortable and well-paced writing style, but I think her books are the perfect read whenever I’m looking for a guaranteed good novel I will enjoy, no matter what. Her books also always include realistic portrayals of women and I think many readers will be able to relate to these characters one way or another. Once again, Emily Liebert has delivered a thoroughly enjoyable and captivating novel that I couldn’t get enough of and I already can’t wait for her next one. ‘Those Secrets We Keep’ is a fabulously well-written and simply great read; if you’re a women’s fiction fan and are not yet familiar with Emily Liebert, be sure to go out and pick up one of her books; you won’t be disappointed!

Rating:9,5/10

  For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.