Book Review: A Dangerous Age

Author: Kelly Killoren Bensimon

Publication Date: June 7, 2016

Publisher: Gallery Books

Couture royalty meets downtown grit and heady artists mingle with freewheeling socialites in A Dangerous Age, a sophisticated, indulgent, and delicious novel of contemporary New York City that women of all ages will devour.

It’s the dog days of a sweltering Manhattan summer, and four sophisticated best friends who once took New York by storm are secretly falling apart at the seams. Lucy’s marriage to a renowned artist is slowly crumbling, with an explosive secret that threatens them both. Sarah, in the middle of auditioning for an auspicious new television show, realizes that her socialite standing is in jeopardy after countless disastrous events. Billy—a queen in the kitchen—has finally left her former life behind to become a highbrow cuisine artist. And Lotta, a knockout downtown art dealer, spends her free time guzzling cocktails in both the grittiest and most expensive clubs around town—but now, she’s taken it a little too far.
In this addicting and refreshing comedy of manners reminiscent of Edith Wharton, Lucy, Sarah, Billy, and Lotta go to all ends to hide their troubles in a city that worships only the young, twentysomething it-girl. But in the end, there’s no denying that these women have all entered a very dangerous age...and who knows how they’ll emerge on the other side.

I wanted my heart to race in fear at the thought of a life without Titus. What worried me more than anything was that it didn’t.

Fire lilies, my darling, for your birthday. Like you, they are bold and beautiful and as priceless and rare as precious stone. They are delicate, and fleeting.

She went east. I went west. Into the sunset.

If love is a sandwich, then I wonder what desire is. Maybe the Haute Chocolate sundae at Serendipity.

This book was just my cup of tea! An absolute perfect read for summer! It reminded me so much of Sex in the City: New York City, four girlfriends all very different, but all very similar, these girlfriends trying to climb the social ladder, and of course the men they date, wed, or bed! I expected this book to be full of fluff, but I must admit that the author chose to take on some pretty weighty issues and dilemmas. The women in this book were all facing very different situations, but mostly focused on Lucy. Lucy has a bit of a mystery to solve throughout the story, but I am not going to reveal any more on this because I don’t want to spoil anything. Lucy’s character did turn out to be one of my favorite ones because of her sheer determination to find answers and rediscover herself and her marriage again.

This story is not for the faint-hearted, as I mentioned previously. There is some mention of drug use and one character in particular gets pretty heavily invested in drug use. There were times while reading when I questioned if certain characters would make it out alive, and at this time I realized that I was invested in their stories and interested in their lives. They share laughter, love, heartache, and cold hard facts with one another. You will find yourself laughing while reading as well as sitting on the edge of your seat waiting for something or someone to explode. I was finished with this book in one day and was sad to reach the last page. I am looking forward to much more from this author!

***A free copy of this book was provided to me by the publishers in exchange for my honest review***

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Book Review: One True Loves

Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid

Publication Date: June 7, 2016

Publisher: Washington Square Press

In her twenties, Emma Blair marries her high school sweetheart, Jesse. They build a life for themselves, far away from the expectations of their parents and the people of their hometown in Massachusetts. They travel the world together, living life to the fullest and seizing every opportunity for adventure.

On their first wedding anniversary, Jesse is on a helicopter over the Pacific when it goes missing. Just like that, Jesse is gone forever.

Emma quits her job and moves home in an effort to put her life back together. Years later, now in her thirties, Emma runs into an old friend, Sam, and finds herself falling in love again. When Emma and Sam get engaged, it feels like Emma’s second chance at happiness.

That is, until Jesse is found. He’s alive, and he’s been trying all these years to come home to her. With a husband and a fiancé, Emma has to now figure out who she is and what she wants, while trying to protect the ones she loves.

Who is her one true love? What does it mean to love truly?

Emma knows she has to listen to her heart. She’s just not sure what it’s saying.

When you lose someone you love, it’s hard to imagine that you’ll ever feel better. But it does happen. If you’re patient and you work at it.

You don’t tie yourself to something unless you’re scared you might float away.

“Just because something isn’t meant to last a lifetime doesn’t mean it wasn’t meant to be. We were meant to have been.”

Worse for wear and yet, somehow, never more beautiful to me than right now.

The summer sun is hot, the breezes are blowing, and my heart and soul are craving some contemporary romance. I decided to satisfy that craving with Taylor Jenkins Reid’s new book and she surely does not disappoint. I knew after reading the synopsis for this book that I would face some hurt right alongside the heroine, Emma. I wasn’t quite sure how the author would handle the situation of our heroine being in love with two men, one of which she thought was dead, but I was pleasantly surprised and pleased with how everything turned out. It is hard to say whose team I was on, Jesse or Sam, but I will say that both gentlemen had different charming and endearing qualities and a love for Emma that made it very hard to choose.

Not only for the romance was this book successful, but also because Emma’s journey is something to marvel at as well. She married her high school sweetheart only for him to go missing in their young lives and have to rebuild and start all over again. She was a strong, vivacious character who had a lot of tough decisions to make. She was able to grow so much through all that happened to her, but I won’t pretend that it wasn’t hard to read all that she was struggling through. I know I wouldn’t ever want to change places with her. The book was sweet, soft, real, and completely unexpected. It was everything I needed to read right when I needed to read it.

***A free copy of this book was provide to me by the publishers at Washington Square Press in exchange for my honest review***

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Theatre Review: This Much by John Fitzpatrick, performed by Moving Dust

I am aware that my timeliness is terrible. I saw this show eight months ago, I wrote this review eight months ago, I found it again tonight.  
I saw it at Edinburgh, and it's now playing at Soho Theatre as part of the Pride festival. 

Title: This Much (or A Act of Violence Towards The Institution of Marriage)
Writer: John Fitzpatrick
Director: Kate Sagovsky
Performed by: Moving Dust
Cast: Lewis Hart, Simon Carroll-Jones, and James Parris
Seen at: Zoo City





Review:Gar is in a long term relationship with Antony, and they're thinking about marriage , but meets Albert on an app. This leads to a romantic drama exploring the meaning and importance of marriage.
I saw this in the programme. I loved the title and the picture and thought maybe if I have time. I then saw this being promoted on the Royal Mile- three men in wedding dresses standing on plinths- and thought, yes, I have to see this. I didn't really know about the play though.
The drama progresses well. Something's always happening, there's twists, tension and anger is mixed with lighter moments, and aside from the ending which seemed a little abrupt, it flows well.
The actors work together well, and the deepness of relationships came through physically in interacting with each other.
The direction and scene setting was brilliant. They use lightweight boxes which are stacked in various ways to create different scenes, and which hold the smaller props. I think everything there was used at least once, with varying degrees of creativity. The scene changes happen in full view, accompanied by disco music and carried out with the emotion present in the scene. I loved watching them as it added unspoken aspects to the personalities.
There's only three or four lines of seating on three sides of the stage so it's a very intimate show. It's made more so by full nudity, (unexpected for me, expected for anyone who takes note of online warnings) but the close setting was good for really feeling the emotions coming off the play. And for those, wow. It cycles through a full range of feelings and situations you find in a relationship- the excitement of meeting someone new, the ease of living together, the hurt of a betrayal, what happens next- and the closeness of the venue means you see all the effects the events have on the characters, even the really subtle ones.

Overall:  Strength 4 tea to a very exposed realistic play.
Links: twitter | company | Soho Theatre tickets

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Book Review: A Golden Cage

Author: Shelley Freydont

Publication Date: June 7, 2016

Publisher: Berkley

Series: Newport Gilded Age #2

The author of A Gilded Grave returns to Newport, Rhode Island, at the close of the nineteenth century, where headstrong heiress Deanna Randolph must solve another murder among the social elite.

With her mother in Europe, Deanna is staying with the Ballard family, who agree to chaperone her through the summer season and guide her toward an advantageous marriage proposal—or so her mother hopes. Relishing her new freedom, Deanna is more interested in buying one of the fashionable new bathing costumes, joining a ladies’ bicycling club, and befriending an actress named Amabelle Deeks, all of which would scandalize her mother.
 
Far more scandalous is the discovery of a young man bludgeoned to death on the conservatory floor at Bonheur, the Ballards’ sumptuous “cottage.” Deanna recognizes him as an actor who performed at the birthday fete for a prominent judge the night before. But why was he at Bonheur? And where is Amabelle?
 
Concerned her new friend may be in danger—or worse—Deanna enlists the help of her intrepid maid, Elspeth, and her former beau, Joe Ballard, to find Amabelle before the villain of this drama demands an encore.

“Don’t bite the hand that feeds you, my dear,” Lionel Ballard said. “At least not until after dessert.”

“It sounds hard, but exciting to have freedom. To be in charge of your own life.”

Her better judgment told Deanna it would be smart to leave now that she had the chance. Curiosity told her to stand her ground.

I started this series last summer and fell in love with the characters and the mystery. Deanna is a great leading lady with a somewhat young, naïve, but yet smart and mischievous outlook. The setting is absolutely to die for and the diction plays into the time period very nicely. I loved everything about this book and thought it was a nice addition to the series. I am usually skeptical about the second books in a series because they often lack luster compared to the first. I will say that I enjoyed the first book more than this one, but this one was not far behind. I think I am most frustrated with Deanna’s love life because it did not go the way I wanted it to in the first book. However, the mystery in this book was just as powerful as the first and I guess that’s what really matters!

Deanna’s character is, as always, my favorite and I was happy to see more of her rebellious nature. She completely defies her mother and all of society’s expectation of what a proper woman should be and how she should behave. Deanna is more interested in being involved in the latest mystery and has no time to worry about securing a husband and pleasing her mother. I absolutely love this about her. It doesn’t hurt that she is smart and cunning and really cares for her loved ones. Shelley is a great writer and really allows readers to imagine what it is like to be alongside Deanna. I am looking forward to so much more from this author!

***A free copy of this book was provided by the publishers at Berkley in exchange for my honest review***

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Giveaway(Over)- THE UNICORNE FILES by CHRIS D'LACEY

Hey, it's been a long time since I had a giveaway for you...but here one is! To celebrate today's release of A Crown of Dragons, the last book in the series of The Unicorne Files by Chris d'Lacey, Laura from Chicken House has kindly offered the chance to win the whole trilogy!

A Dark Inheritance: When Michael Malone discovers his supernatural ability to alter reality, he is recruited by an organization dedicated to investigating strange and paranormal phenomena. He joins in hopes of finding his father, who mysteriously vanished three years earlier. Michael's first task is to solve the mystery of a dog he rescued from a precarious clifftop -- a mystery that leads him to a strange and sickly classmate and a young girl who was killed in a devastating accident. Stakes are high as Michael learns to harness his newfound ability and uncover the deadly truth about his father's disappearance.

Alexander's Army: After the success of his first assignment from the UNICORNE agency, fourteen-year-old Michael Malone is given another unexplained mystery to solve. When UNICORNE detect strange goings-on in a comic book shop, Michael is sent to investigate- a task which is made all the more difficult by allies he can no longer trust, and an enemy he can't actually see.

A Crown of Dragons: Michael, a special agent for the secretive UNICORNE agency, embarks on his most dangerous mission yet: investigating the artefact his father was researching before he disappeared. But the truth is darker than he could’ve imagined. His father is lost in an alternative reality, and Michael is the only one with the power to save him...


If you'd like to enter, use the Rafflecopter below. Entry is open to residents of the UK, Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, and entry closes at 12am on Friday 10 June. Winner will be chosen some time on Friday.

Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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