Showing posts with label A Woman Lost. Show all posts
Showing posts with label A Woman Lost. Show all posts

Monday, June 1, 2015

Truly Awesome June Giveaway and Review for A Woman Ignored

What a way to start off June!

Every month, the wonderful T.B. Markinson is hosting an ebook giveaway. This month there are five spectacular books that you can win. I've read them all, and any one of them is worth entering this giveaway.

30 Seconds by Chrys Fey  (Fantastic romantic suspense)
Soul Cutter by Lexa Cain  (Fast-paced, intense YA horror)
Pop Travel by Tara Tyler  (Awesome sci-fi thriller)
Cloaked in Fur by T.F. Walsh  (Riveting paranormal romance)
and

And while you're at T.B.'s blog entering the giveaway, be sure to pick up her books. Here's my review of the latest book in her Woman Lost series to tease you with.


Blurb: Historian Lizzie Petrie remains nothing more than a lesbian in her bitter mother’s eyes. The suppressed hurt of that superficial assessment means she still catches herself off guard when thinking of Sarah as her wife. The couple has endured the fallout of Lizzie’s insecurities and set-up house in Fort Collins, Colorado. Now their relationship is about to be tested again.

When her wife announces she wants to have a baby, Lizzie panics. A baby? The thought of sucking an egg from her ovary and implanting the resulting embryo into Sarah’s womb terrifies her. Lizzie constantly worries if she’ll make a good mother.

Just when she starts to make peace with the idea, Lizzie’s estranged family enters her life again. The news is anything but good, and she finds herself wondering how to make amends with her aloof mother, stranger of a father, and self-centered brother.

Deep down, Lizzie is more loving and caring than she ever gives herself credit. Sometimes it takes a tragedy to open a woman’s eyes to her full potential. But at what price?


My review: Lizzie Petrie has survived one big fallout in her relationship and now she's about to be tested again. Her wife Sarah surprises her with the announcement that she wants to have a baby. Lizzie's baby. If that doesn't shake up Lizzie's world enough, her haughty mother is diagnosed with cancer. With a baby in her future, she wants to make some peace with her estranged family. Yet will the effort destroy her further?

This is the sequel to A Woman Lost, a contemporary romance that amazed me with its fantastic characterization and dramatic plot. A Woman Ignored is just as well written and ups the intensity of the story. Lizzie's narrative is compelling, unusual, and quirky. She's a woman who sees things differently than others and brings forth questions others might not think about. You see a lot more of her heart in this book, and you can understand why Sarah loves her so. Their relationship may be bumpy at times, but it's drawn with the vivid colors of reality. It's quite sweet - and steamy! - at times. Sarah, Maddie, and Ethan are great complements, and I love the addition of Doug to their group. Just as fascinating was getting to see the dynamics of the Petrie family in the midst of a crisis.

I can't wait to read more from T.B. Markinson.


Thursday, June 5, 2014

A Woman Lost review & sale

Blurb:
Elizabeth “Lizzie” Petrie has it all. She’s rich, beautiful, intelligent, and successful. None of this matters to her mom. Les-Bi-An. That’s all her mom sees.

Even though Lizzie insists her mom’s antagonism does not bother her, Lizzie distances herself from her entire family. When her brother, Peter, calls her out of the blue to announce he’s getting married, Lizzie’s entire life changes drastically. Peter’s fiancée wants to bring the lesbian outcast back into the family. Will this desire cause Lizzie to lose everything dear to her?

Sarah, Lizzie’s girlfriend, is ecstatic about this change in Lizzie’s personal life. Sarah, the hopeless romantic, wants it all, including settling down with the fiercely independent Lizzie.

Can Lizzie be tamed? And can she survive her family and all of their secrets?

My review:
Elizabeth Petrie would prefer to have nothing to do with her family. She's happy staying away from them, finishing her doctorate and debating whether to live together with her girlfriend, Sarah. This is until Lizzie's brother calls and introduces her to his fiancée Maddie who ignites Lizzie's desire. Sarah wants more in their relationship, but Lizzie can't stop thinking about Maddie. Lies and secrets. Will Lizzie lose it all for want of the one woman she can't have?

This is a wonderfully written contemporary romance about a woman who doesn't know what she really wants. The characters might be rich and successful, but their problems have nothing to do with their careers or financial status. These are real problems that I found it easy to relate to and commiserate with the characters.

Lizzie is a strong, intelligent, and passionate woman. Being self-absorbed, her point of view is skewed. I loved it when things about other characters were revealed that she missed, because I was so caught up in Lizzie too. Sarah, Maddie, and Ethan are powerful presences. Each fascinated me in their own way. The story is driven forward by the people, and the characterization is exceptional.

5 stars for A WOMAN LOST. A fantastic hook that brings you a brilliant story.

This week, A WOMAN LOST is on sale! Get your copy today.

Normal price: $2.99 * Sale price: $0.99

Normal price: £1.99 * Sale price: £0.99

Here's a tantalizing excerpt:

Neither of us mentioned how odd it was that she’d showed up outside of my apartment. She’d never been here before. How did she find out where I lived? I wasn’t sure she had forgiven me yet for the conversation we had at our last meetings. I hoped both of us could forget the incident.

“I had a lot of energy, so I went longer than normal. I rode to LaPorte and back.” I tugged at my T-shirt, which was sticking to my skin. “Geez, look at me—I’m a mess! Do you want to come in? I’m dying for a hot shower. You can hang out while I get cleaned up.”

“That sounds nice. Hope you don’t mind, but I won’t hug you until you shower.” She waved her hand in front of her nose. “Stinky.”

“Smelly McGee, that’s me.”

As soon as the words left my mouth, I froze. What had compelled me to make such a nincompoop out of myself?

Maddie snapped her head up to eyeball me. “Oh, wow. That’s pretty dorky, even for you. I wouldn’t suggest trying that one on the ladies.” She snickered.

“Come on, smartass.” I led her up the flight of stairs to my apartment, searching for my pride with each step.

“Is Sarah home?” Maddie asked.

Had she sensed my embarrassment and wanted to divert the conversation away from my gaffe?

I laughed, feeling more at ease. “She doesn’t officially live with me. But no, she isn’t here right now. She and her mom are bonding today. They’re having breakfast, and then they’ll shop till they drop. They are definitely shoppers. When I go with them, I have to take energy shots just to keep up.”

“Two women after my own heart. You don’t like to shop?”

“I prefer to have someone else do it for me.”

“So you always have a girlfriend to take care of you?” 

* * * * *

Author Bio: T. B. Markinson is a 40-year old American writer, living in England, who pledged she would publish before she was 35. Better late than never. When she isn’t writing, she’s traveling the world, watching sports on the telly, visiting pubs in England, or taking the dog for a walk. Not necessarily in that order. A Woman Lost is her debut novel.

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