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Showing posts with label Tiffany Odekirk. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tiffany Odekirk. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 25, 2018
LDS Hollywood Romance Upbeat and Real (with a Giveaway!)
1:00 AM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
When Evie Jennings eloped with her boyfriend two years ago, she thought she was making a fresh start with the man she loved. Then he abandoned her, divorcing her through the mail. Evie hasn't seen Q since their hurried nuptials. Her friends and family urge her to move on, but to what? It's humiliating enough to be a 24-year-old divorceé, let alone living with her parents and attending a Young Single Adult (YSA) ward. She's enrolled at UCAL, but she's not even sure what she wants to be when she grows up. Evie's confused—about past mistakes, present decisions, and what kind of future she could possibly have when she's so messed up and broken.
After receiving scathing reviews on his forthcoming movie, Hollywood golden boy Ridge Dashly is starting to worry about his future, too. With his career on the line, he reluctantly agrees to an image re-boot, which includes enrolling at UCAL. Surrounded by starry-eyed co-eds, Ridge longs for someone who can see past his Hollywood heartthrob image and appreciate his true self. A chance encounter with Evie Jennings convinces him that she could be a true friend, if not a whole lot more. Soon, the two are exchanging flirty texts, swapping secrets, and stirring up enough gossip in their singles ward that even the paparazzi takes notice.
It took me a minute to realize that Love Unscripted—Tiffany Odekirk's sophomore novel—is actually a companion novel to her debut, Love On Pointe. It's not a sequel but a story concerning the same family, just a different member. With Emmy Jennings' HEA on the horizon, it's her twin's turn to find love. Although Evie's constant wallowing bugs, she's a sympathetic heroine and likeable enough that I wanted a happy ending for her as well. Ridge is a little too perfect, but it's also easy to desire good things for him. Their story has a fun premise, unoriginal and predictable though it may be. The tale's got religious undertones, but it's not overly preachy or sappy which makes it an appealing read for anyone who enjoys clean, upbeat contemporary romance. What I appreciate most about Odekirk is that she presents members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in a realistic way. Her characters make mistakes, treat each other in ways that aren't always kind, have doubts, struggle with their testimonies, question their Church leaders ... in short, they reflect real LDS people. Her story people—like IRL Mormons—are imperfect people striving to be better. Overall, then, I enjoyed Love Unscripted and will certainly read Odekirk's next effort (which I'm hoping will concern the mysterious Drew Jennings).
(Readalikes: Love On Pointe by Tiffany Odekirk; also reminds me of contemporary romances by Melanie Jacobson [especially Perfect Set], Brittany Larsen, and Jenny Proctor)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for discussions of subjects (pornography, spousal abandonment, premarital sex, etc.) that may not be appropriate for readers under 12
To the FTC, with love: I received a finished copy of Love Unscripted from Covenant in exchange for an honest review to be posted during the book's blog tour. Thank you!
--
Interested in more opinions of Love Unscripted? Follow along on the blog tour by clicking the links below:
*Sept. 24th: http://mybookaday.com/
*Sept. 25th: http://fireandicereads.com/, https://brightlystreet.com/, https://www.rockinbookreviews. com/, http://www.blogginboutbooks. com/, http:// gettingyourreadonaimeebrown. blogspot.com/
*Sept. 26th: http://thoroughlyhere. blogspot.com/, http://ldswritermom.blogspot. com/, http://lisaisabookworm. blogspot.com/, http://lifeiswhatitscalled. blogspot.com/
*Sept. 27th: http:// katiescleanbookcollection. blogspot.com/, https://www.wishfulendings. com/, https://www. singinglibrarianbooks.com/
*Sept. 28th: https://whynotbecauseisaidso. blogspot.com/, http://booksaresanity. blogspot.com/, http://literarytimeout. blogspot.com/
Want to win a copy of Love Unscripted for your very own? Or a $25 Amazon gift card? How about both? Enter to win this awesome prize using the Rafflecopter widget below:
Tuesday, September 18, 2018
TTT: FALLing for Autumn Reads
5:58 PM
It's been some time since I've participated in Top Ten Tuesday, my favorite weekly meme, but I couldn't resist this week's topic. The seasonal TBR posts are the ones I look forward to most, so I couldn't miss out. You shouldn't either. Join in the fun by heading over to That Artsy Reader Girl to read a few guidelines then making and sharing a list of your own. After that, all you have to do is hop around the book blogosphere and load up your TBR list with even more great recommendations. It's a good time, I promise!
Here we go with the Top Ten Books on My Fall TBR List:
1. A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult (available October 2)—I'm a big Picoult fan and I'm excited to read her newest, even though it deals with a subject on which I have strong opinions: abortion. The novel begins when a shooter walks through the doors of a women's reproductive health services clinic and goes from there. Should be a compelling read that will no doubt be interesting and discussion-worthy.
2. The Winters by Lisa Gabriele (available October 16)—This haunting thriller about a recently married woman whose posh new lifestyle is not all it appears to be sounds intriguing.
3. Leave No Trace by Mindy Mejia (available now)—This novel, about a boy who's been raised in the Minnesota wilderness and the therapist who's trying to help him, sounds intriguing.
4. Love Unscripted by Tiffany Odekirk (available now)—On the lighter side, this is the sophomore novel by a delightful author whom I've had the privilege to meet. I enjoyed her debut, so I'm excited to see what Odekirk does with this romance about a woman who meets a Hollywood heartthrob in need of her help.
5. Squint by Chad Morris and Shelly Brown (available October 2)—I loved Mustaches for Maddie, so I'm excited to read the duo's newest, Squint. The middle grade book is about a young comic book artist who's frantically trying to finish a piece he wants to enter in a big competition before he completely loses his eyesight due to a damaged cornea. He's bullied at school, but one girl reaches inside of herself to find the courage to get to know him ...
6. The Winter Soldier by Daniel Mason (available now)—This historical novel, about a young medical student who enlists in WWI and finds himself trying to make a difference at a frozen, forgotten makeshift hospital in the Carpathian Mountains, sounds intriguing.
7. The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris (available now)—Another historical, this one is based on the true story of a captured Jew who is put to work tattooing numbers on the arms of his fellow prisoners. A love story and a survival story, it sounds excellent.
8. Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty (available November 6)—After loving several of Moriarty's novels, I found her last one to be a big flop. I'm hoping Nine Perfect Strangers, a novel about a group of women stuck together at a resort that may be more damaging than healing, is as entertaining as some of her earlier books.
9. Go To My Grave by Catriona McPherson (available October 23)—I love a mystery/thriller featuring an old house hiding juicy secrets. This one, about a group that gathers at a bed and breakfast where something horrible happened years before, sounds like a perfect Fall read!
10. The Glass Ocean by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White (available now)—This dual-timeline novel features a dramatic story set on the doomed ocean liner RMS Lusitania. I'm in.
There you have it, ten of my most anticipated reads for Fall. Do we have any in common? What are you looking forward to reading in the months ahead? I'd love to know. Please leave a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor.
Happy TTT!
Here we go with the Top Ten Books on My Fall TBR List:
1. A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult (available October 2)—I'm a big Picoult fan and I'm excited to read her newest, even though it deals with a subject on which I have strong opinions: abortion. The novel begins when a shooter walks through the doors of a women's reproductive health services clinic and goes from there. Should be a compelling read that will no doubt be interesting and discussion-worthy.
2. The Winters by Lisa Gabriele (available October 16)—This haunting thriller about a recently married woman whose posh new lifestyle is not all it appears to be sounds intriguing.
3. Leave No Trace by Mindy Mejia (available now)—This novel, about a boy who's been raised in the Minnesota wilderness and the therapist who's trying to help him, sounds intriguing.
4. Love Unscripted by Tiffany Odekirk (available now)—On the lighter side, this is the sophomore novel by a delightful author whom I've had the privilege to meet. I enjoyed her debut, so I'm excited to see what Odekirk does with this romance about a woman who meets a Hollywood heartthrob in need of her help.
5. Squint by Chad Morris and Shelly Brown (available October 2)—I loved Mustaches for Maddie, so I'm excited to read the duo's newest, Squint. The middle grade book is about a young comic book artist who's frantically trying to finish a piece he wants to enter in a big competition before he completely loses his eyesight due to a damaged cornea. He's bullied at school, but one girl reaches inside of herself to find the courage to get to know him ...
6. The Winter Soldier by Daniel Mason (available now)—This historical novel, about a young medical student who enlists in WWI and finds himself trying to make a difference at a frozen, forgotten makeshift hospital in the Carpathian Mountains, sounds intriguing.
7. The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris (available now)—Another historical, this one is based on the true story of a captured Jew who is put to work tattooing numbers on the arms of his fellow prisoners. A love story and a survival story, it sounds excellent.
8. Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty (available November 6)—After loving several of Moriarty's novels, I found her last one to be a big flop. I'm hoping Nine Perfect Strangers, a novel about a group of women stuck together at a resort that may be more damaging than healing, is as entertaining as some of her earlier books.
9. Go To My Grave by Catriona McPherson (available October 23)—I love a mystery/thriller featuring an old house hiding juicy secrets. This one, about a group that gathers at a bed and breakfast where something horrible happened years before, sounds like a perfect Fall read!
10. The Glass Ocean by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White (available now)—This dual-timeline novel features a dramatic story set on the doomed ocean liner RMS Lusitania. I'm in.
There you have it, ten of my most anticipated reads for Fall. Do we have any in common? What are you looking forward to reading in the months ahead? I'd love to know. Please leave a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor.
Happy TTT!
Friday, June 16, 2017
Love on Pointe a Fun, Faith-Promoting Debut (With a Giveaway!)
1:00 AM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Rhys Solario isn't like the other guys at Brigham Young University. He hasn't served a mission, he doesn't hold the priesthood, he's not interested in a temple marriage—heck, he's not even Mormon. He's a good guy, but he's learned from bitter experience that he's not the kind of man for whom BYU co-eds are looking. Which is fine by him. He just needs to keep his head down for two more semesters, then he'll be done with the Y and its crazy dating scene forever.
Emmy Jennings only has one thing on her mind: ballet. She's a talented, experienced ballerina, but now that her impulsive twin has up and quit dancing—an obsession they've always shared—Emmy will have to work even harder to learn routines and perform well enough to earn a coveted solo in an upcoming show. With a full school schedule, a learning disability that makes studying even more complicated, and a sister-roommate who's acting strangely, Emmy's got plenty on her plate. The last thing she needs is a distraction like her handsome new study partner. She's not looking for a date, let alone her eternal companion, but Emmy can't deny her attraction to kind, down-to-earth Rhys Solario.
Rhys can't believe a gorgeous, graceful Mormon girl like Emmy is giving a guy like him a chance. Of course, she doesn't know he's not a member of her church. He needs to tell her. Right away. The second he does, though, she'll jeté right out of his life. Rhys will do anything to keep Emmy by his side. Except the one thing she wants him to do: convert. Will Emmy have to give up what's most important to her in order for the couple to have a chance? Or will their whirlwind romance end before it's even had a chance to begin?
Love on Pointe, a debut novel by Tiffany Odekirk, is an upbeat, swoony romance featuring a likable duo battling an impossible problem. While I found the story's premise a little implausible, I adored its setting. Odekirk does an admirable job of bringing the BYU atmosphere to life in all its goofy glory, capturing both the fun and frustration inherent in the student experience. She also goes to great pains to break down common stereotypes, although many manage to bleed through. Still, Love on Pointe tackles a difficult situation with honesty and sensitivity. Although it's obvious from the get-go how the story will end, she throws in a couple of surprises to keep the plot interesting. Not every aspect of the story line rang true for me, but overall I found Love on Pointe an enjoyable read. Yes, it oozes a fair amount of cheese and melodrama; still, it's a bright, fun, faith-promoting book that will appeal to anyone looking for a clean, easy-to-read LDS romance. While I have a few issues with Odekirk's debut performance, one thing is certain—I can't wait to see what she does for an encore.
(Readalikes: Love on Pointe reminded me of other contemporary LDS romances by Melanie Jacobson, Jenny Proctor, and Brittany Larsen)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for nothing offensive, although the story is most appropriate for readers 12+
To the FTC, with love: I received a finished copy of Love on Pointe from the generous folks at Covenant. Thank you!
--
Want more opinions on Love on Pointe? Follow along on the book's blog tour:
*June 13th: http://heidi-reads. blogspot.com/
*June 15th: http://www. singinglibrarianbooks.com/, ht tp:// katiescleanbookcollection. blogspot.com/, https:// ldsandlovinit.blogspot.com/
*June 16th: http://fireandicereads. com/, http://literarytimeout. blogspot.com/, http:// booksaresanity.blogspot.com/, http://minreadsandreviews. blogspot.com/, http://www. blogginboutbooks.com/
Want to win your own copy of Love on Pointe plus a $25 Amazon gift card? Enter here:
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