Sunday Post Linkup/Stacking the Shelves

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer.  ~ It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga @ Tynga's Reviews and is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

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LAST WEEK

On Monday, May 5, I reviewed:

Click the book button for my review.  As the tour continues until May 21, you can go to Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours for the rest of the tour schedule and to enter a giveaway for a tote with print copies of both "Lethal Lily" and "Thyme to Die".

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On Tuesday, May 6, I reviewed:

Click the book button for my review.  The tour continues until Wednesday, May 14th, and you can see the rest of the tour schedule at the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours site.

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Wednesday, May 7th, was a busy day.  I had two reviews that day!

Click the book button for my review.  The tour continues until Thursday, May 22, and you can see the rest of the tour schedule at the Virtual Authors Book Tours site.

Click the button for my review.  The tour continues until Wednesday, May 14, and you can see the rest of the tour schedule at the Worldwind Virtual Book Tours site.  Please note this book is intended for mature audiences.

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Then I just had to show one more time the early gift our 11 year old daughter gave her dad ad me on our 17th wedding anniversary last Friday (May 9)!  Although it's hard to see, there is a little heart in the "sign's post" at the bottom.

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THIS WEEK:  (links in this section go to the book's page at the respective tour companies)

Monday, May 12:  

(for iRead Book Tours)

Wednesday, May 14:

(for Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours)

Thursday, May 15:

(for iRead Book Tours).  I will also be reviewing books 2 and 3 of the Verona Trilogy in the following weeks as part of the tour.

Friday, May 16:  

(for Roane Publishing)  I'm one of the three stops on the final day of the tour.

BOOK REVIEW: The Idea of Him by Holly Peterson

BOOK INFORMATION

Publisher: William Morrow  (April 1, 2014)

Category: Contemporary Fiction/ Women’s Fiction

ISBN: 978-0062283108

Tour Date: April/May, 2014

Available in: Print & ebook, 384 Pages

GoodReads * Amazon * Barnes & Noble

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SYNOPSIS

Allie Crawford is a once aspiring screenwriter turned successful public relations executive, mother of two young children, and wife of a hotshot magazine editor whose power base spans the worlds of finance, fashion, culture, entertainment, and society. At 34, she finds herself at a crossroads: between the office and her home, her life has become an endless rotation of people pleasing-whether pulling rabbits out of hats for her mogul boss, entertaining advertisers and phony A-listers for her husband's magazine, or making elaborate costumes for children's school plays. At least, that is, until she meets a head turning, traffic stopping beauty at the bar of the famed Four Seasons Grill Room-where many of the novel's players regularly convene-and shortly thereafter finds the same woman and her husband in an apparently compromising position in her own apartment.

And so begins the story of two very different women bound by similar missions-to uncover the crimes and betrayals of various men in their lives and finally put their own interests front and center. For Mary this ultimately means leaving a husband who is ideal in theory but not in practice, and deciding to risk security for self-fulfillment and a new life on her own. Like so many women, Mary fell for the man she married when she was in her twenties only to realize years later that it wasn't him she fell for as much as it was the idea of him-the idea of a savior who would protect and provide and ferry her from her past into the future. But the guy who seemed so right at the time turned out to be nothing more than a fantasy.

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REVIEW

"The Idea of Him" is an aptly-named look at the world of a high-gloss, heavy-paper magazine (which, as one character puts it, is increasingly irrelevant to anyone with a tablet).  It is a world where image is more important than reality, what people think is happening is not the same as what is actually happening, and ignorance is definitely not bliss.

Allie goes through life performing miracles - for everyone but herself.  She is a great hostess for her husband, a caring mother and the glue that holds the PR firm (run by her larger-than-life boss) together.  And Allie can do this because of what she believes to be true: that the life she has is secure and happy.

Then the rain starts to fall.  Her boss puts increasingly ridiculous demands on her time doing PR for a film festival, for which the 'flagship' movie is crap and stars a beautiful model who couldn't act her way out of a paper bag.  *drip*  One of the festival's main financial backers comes into Allie and Wade's home, and punches her husband Wade in the middle of a party for the glitterati.  *drop*  And she sees her husband come out of their laundry room followed closely by a woman who is a little too beautiful and dressed a little too well. *DOWNPOUR*

Said female (Jackie) hints that Wade might be dabbling in things other than other women, and that Allie should watch her back.  But what is Allie to believe?

No wonder 50% of marriages in the United States end in divorce.  People get caught up in the 'romance' of it all, and think marriage is some sort of happiness all wrapped up with a big shiny bow nirvana.  Then they realize they might not be at Heaven's doorstep quite yet.  Sometimes the spouses (be they male or female) have the proverbial bad hair days.

One of the greatest things for me about "The Idea of Him" is that it shows that love is possible while cautioning that there is nothing wrong with a healthy dose of realism to go with it.  Skydiving may be a thrilling sport, but it will end badly if you jump with only the idea of a parachute strapped to your back.

"The Idea of Him" is a wonderful life lesson wrapped up in an entertaining story of discovery.

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AUTHOR INFORMATION

Holly Peterson is the author of the New York Times and international best seller, The Manny.  She was a Contributing Editor for Newsweek and editor-at-large for Tina Brown's Talk magazine.  She was also an Emmy Award-winning producer for ABC news for more than a decade, where she covered global politics.  Her writing has been published in the New York Times, Newsweek, Talk, the Daily Beast, Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, and other publications.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Pinterest

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(Disclaimer:  I received a print copy of this book from the author and publisher, via Virtual Author Book Tours, in exchange for my honest review.  No other compensation was requested, offered or received.)

COVER REVEAL - The Idea of Him by Holly Peterson

Publisher: William Morrow  (April 1, 2014)
Category: Contemporary Fiction/ Women’s Fiction
ISBN: 978-0062283108
Tour Date: April/May, 2014
Available in: Print & ebook, 384 Pages

In the fabulous and intrigue-packed new novel from Holly Peterson, the New York Times bestselling author of THE MANNY, THE IDEA OF HIM explores the dangers of falling for the idea of a person, and why facing reality is more liberating than we ever dreamed it could be. For anyone who’s let the fear of being alone keep them from seeing who someone really is, THE IDEA OF HIM is an inspiring, action-packed story of what happens when we embrace our own power and allow the truth to finally set us free. Allie Crawford has the life she always dreamed of—she's number two at a high-profile P.R. firm; she has two kids she adores; and her husband is a blend of handsome and heroic. Wade is everything she thought a man was supposed to be—he's running a successful newsmagazine and, best of all, he provides the stable yet exciting New York City life Allie believes she needs in order to feel secure and happy. But when Allie finds Wade locked in their laundry room with a stunning blonde in snakeskin sandals, a scandal ensues that flips her life on its head. And when the woman wants to befriend Allie, an old flame calls, and a new guy gets a little too close for comfort, she starts to think her marriage is more of a facade than something real. Maybe she's fallen in love not with Wade—but with the idea of him. Captivating and seductive, told in the whip-smart voice of a woman who is working hard to keep her parenting and career on track, The Idea of Him is a novel of conspiracy, intrigue, and intense passion—and discovering your greatest strength through your deepest fears.

Praise for The Manny: "This is bestsellerland - the manny isn’t one of the popolo minuto. Nope, he’s an about-to-be-millionaire software developer from a neocon background with hot buns and fab abs. Three guesses? A diverting spell in the world of the greedy, The Manny is a genre-bender, sex and shopping and ambition and even a tinge of socialism, and brilliant fun."-Heatseeker Reviews "Peterson offers an amusing take on the mating habits of the Manhattan elite. And while the story holds few surprises, it benefits greatly from an attractive pair of would-be lovers."-Kirkus Review "Phillip's temper tantrums...are surprisingly funny, and a subplot where Jamie chases a trashy but potentially career-making story is strong." - Publishers Weekly "I leapt on The Manny and devoured it in one sitting. It's a riveting portrait of millionaires' life on 'The Grid', full of eye-watering details. And it made me instantly want to hire a male nanny...... for me!—Sophie Kinsella, author of Shopaholic & Baby “Holly Peterson writes about the rich with acute understanding and a drop-dead eye for detail. The funniest, sexiest ride in the limo lane since The Bonfire of the Vanities.” —Tina Brown, author of The Diana Chronicles

About Holly Peterson: Holly Peterson is the author of the New York Times and international best seller, The Manny. She was a Contributing Editor for Newsweek and editor-at-large for Tina Brown’s Talk magazine. She was also an Emmy Award–winning producer for ABC News for more than a decade, where she cov­ered global politics. Her writing has been published in the New York Times, Newsweek, Talk, the Daily Beast, Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and other publications.

Website: www.HollyPeterson.com
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/HollyPetersonny?id=275564372549939&_rdr
Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/hollypetersonny
Instagram-http://instagram.com/hollypetersonny 
Pinterest-http://www.pinterest.com/hollypetersonny/pins/

Buy The Idea of Him: Amazon  * Barnes and Noble * Book Depository