Skinnydipping, by Bethenny Frankel

Skinnydipping
Written by Bethenny Frankel

I'd like to start by saying that I love Bethenny Frankel. I watched her in The Real Housewives, in Bethenny Ever After, and read her "A Place of Yes" memoir-type book. So when I saw she had written a novel, I was anxious to see what her fiction writing would turn out to be.

I loved Skinnydipping! It was funny; it was irreverent, and occasionally inappropriate. That's what I love about Bethenny. I also liked how the story was written in an almost memoir like style. A few times I even forgot this wasn't a true story, although Faith, the main character, did seem to have a journey similar to the one Bethenny herself had. But I didn't find that it detracted from the story. The infamous "they" always say to write what you know, and it seems Frankel took that advice and came up with a really great first novel.

I would love to see more novels from Frankel because I think she has a spark and that she could really be a contender in the chick lit genre. For me, Frankel is like the perfect combination of Jennifer Weiner (Writer of many chic lit novels and short stories) and Jenny Lawson (Writer of The Bloggess blog and recent memoir) who are both great story tellers in their own right. I could see her fitting into this genre and excelling. I don't believe that chick lit is dead or dying.

This is really just a story of discovering who you are. I think it's a popular theme in this genre, and it's one that will continue to flourish. Figuring out who we are is something that we can all relate to. No matter the age or stage in life, as human beings, we're all struggling to figure out how we fit into our world and what we should be doing. Skinnydipping tells the journey of Faith to find out the answers to those same questions and ends with her achieving that peace that comes with being in the right place, doing the right thing, at the right moment. Even if this feeling rarely lasts forever, it gives us all hope that we'll experience our own moments of rightness when all is well in our world and everything feels like it is exactly as it should be.

Life Without Parole, A Kate Conway Mystery, by Clare O'Donohue

Life Without Parole
A Kate Conway Mystery
Written Clare O' Donohue

This was my first experience reading one of Clare O'Donohue's books. I actually got this book for free as a Goodreads First Reads giveaway. I entered to win the book because the premise sounded interesting. My curiosity was piqued when I saw that there was a lot of interaction between the main character and some prisoners serving life without parole sentences. Although this isn't the first Kate Conway novel, it works well as a stand alone book. Not reading the previous book did not detract from this book at all.

I don't read a lot of mysteries, in comparison with some of the other genre's I read, but I do like them. I enjoy the change of pace now-and-then. I found O'Donohue to be a good writer. She did a great job of explaining who the characters were and their interactions with one another were entertaining. Her story was fast paced and easy to read. One of my favorite parts of the novel was how O'Donohue had cleverly captured the busy lifestyle of Kate by showing her working on two different projects at once, all while attempting to work through the grief she was experiencing since her husband's recent death.

I did enjoy this book, although I'm not sure if I enjoyed it enough to read more of O'Donohue's other books. I have such an extensive list already of books I'd like to read, that this author just didn't excite me enough. It wasn't poor writing or even a boring story. It just wasn't quite good enough to keep me coming back. I don't regret reading the book though, and it didn't take long to read. If you want a quick light read, I suggest you give this one a try.

Beneath the Shadows, by Sara Foster

Beneath the Shadows
Written by Sara Foster

"She took a deep breath, trying to quell the worry that was winding her nerves into knots.  Adam's note had unsettled her. 'Won't be long. I have to talk to you when I get back, don't go anywhere. A x.'" -- Chapter One, Beneath the Shadows, by Sara Foster

When I found out that I was the lucky winner of an advance copy of Beneath the Shadows, I got excited.  I had read the summary of the book and I had been anticipating it's release this summer.  When I found out I'd get to read it a month before it hits the shelves, I began anxiously awaiting it's arrival in the mail.  It's always fun to read new authors, but I still cannot believe that this was Sara Foster's debut novel! Her poignant writing, leaves me restless with anticipation of her next novel. Beneath the Shadows was brilliantly told, and the characters instantly draw you in. You won't regret picking this one up and whiling away a hot summer day on the couch. 

I literally could not put this book down.  I started reading it the first chance I got yesterday, and I was reading it every spare second for the rest of the day.  I just barely managed to finish it before bed-time last night. 

Beneath the Shadows kept me in thick suspense as Sara wove a story about a woman, Grace, in her determined search to find out how and why her husband, Adam, disappeared a year ago.  I loved how there was just enough foreshadowing to hint at who may have been involved in Adam's disappearance, but it was handed out in such a clever way that it added to the anticipation. In an attempt to carry on with her life after the baffling disappearance of Adam, Grace returns to the place of his disappearance in a hope of finding the answers she so desperately needs.  More importantly, she hopes to find peace so she can move on and raise their daughter Millie, who was born just a few weeks before the disappearance and may never know her father. 

Beneath the Shadows by Sara Foster will be released on June 5, 2012!  Happy Reading!

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month