Fun Fall Reads Blog Tour

In Limelight we meet Claudette Fioré who used to turn heads and break hearts. She relished the glamorous Hollywood lifestyle because she had what it takes: money, youth, fame, and above all, beauty. But age has withered that beauty, and a crooked accountant has taken her wealth, leaving the proud widow penniless and alone.

Armed with stubbornness and sarcasm, Claudette returns to her shabby little hometown and her estranged sister. Slowly, she makes friends. She begins to see her old life in a new light. For the first time, Claudette Fioré questions her own values and finds herself wondering if it’s too late to change.

Maya’s Green Tip for the Day: Recycled fashion is one of the most fun ways to go green. A pair of jeans could be transformed into a denim skirt. A sweater into a vest. A bunch of old ties into a dress. A blanket into a poncho. Accessorize it in new way–with beads, buttons, appliqués, buckles, stencils, or ribbons…your imagination is only the limit. (65 words)

In What Matters Most Sixteen-year-old Maya Stark has a lot to sort through. She could graduate from high school early if she wants to. She’s considering it, especially when popular cheerleader Vanessa Hartman decides to make her life miserable–and Maya’s ex-boyfriend Dominic gets the wrong idea about everything.

To complicate matters even more, Maya’s mother will be released from prison soon, and she’ll want Maya to live with her again. That’s a disaster waiting to happen. And when Maya plays her dad’s old acoustic guitar in front of an audience, she discovers talents and opportunities she never expected. Faced with new options, Maya must choose between a “normal” life and a glamorous one. Ultimately, she has to figure out what matters most.

In Leaving Carolina Piper Wick left her hometown of Pickwick, North Carolina, twelve years ago, shook the dust off her feet, ditched her drawl and her family name, and made a new life for herself as a high-powered public relations consultant in LA. She’s even “engaged to be engaged” to the picture-perfect U.S. Congressman Grant Spangler.

Now all of Piper’s hard-won happiness is threatened by a reclusive uncle’s bout of conscience. In the wake of a health scare, Uncle Obadiah Pickwick has decided to change his will, leaving money to make amends for four generations’ worth of family misdeeds. But that will reveal all the Pickwicks’ secrets, including Piper’s.

Though Piper arrives in Pickwick primed for battle, she is unprepared for Uncle Obe’s rugged, blue-eyed gardener. So just who is Axel Smith? Why does he think making amends is more than just making restitution? And why, oh why, can’t she stay on task? With the Lord’s help, Piper is about to discover that although good PR might smooth things over, only the truth will set her free.

*These books were provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

My Thoughts:

I loved Limelight! It was the first book I have ever read by Melody Carlson and she is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. When I first started reading Limelight I wasn't sure if I was going to like it but I stuck with it and I'm so glad I did. When you first meet Claudette it is hard to like her, she is one of the most self-centered main characters I've ever met. But by the end of the book she has learned a lot and you (or at least I did) grow to love her. For a book that started off with me not too sure about it, it ended up being one that I hated to see end. Also, there are some parts that had me laughing...poor Claudette...she's like a fish out of water living in her hometown once again. I highly recommend Limelight-it's one of those books where after you come to the end you are left with a smile on your face.

I'm afraid that I haven't finished reading What Matters Most. This is the last book in Melody's Diary of a Teenage Girl series and to be honest I think I will pick up the first book in this series. If you have a teenage daughter I really think she will enjoy this series.

Leaving Carolina was another first for me...I hadn't read anything by Tamara Leigh and now I have quite of few of her books on my wish list. :) This book did start off a little slow for me but it quickly picked up and I found myself enjoying reading about Piper's journey. I'm looking forward to the next book in this series and hoping that some day I can try pickled corn. After you read Leaving Carolina you will know why I want to try pickled corn (which I had never heard of before). :)

So in a nutshell I would recommend all three books. :) Happy Reading!