Connected Underneath - Book Review

"Madena, upstate New York. Like any other small town, everybody keeps an eye on everybody else's business without recognizing the secrets that connect them. The wheelchair-bound Celeste conjures up lives from what she sees and thinks she sees while peering through binoculars from her kitchen fan vent. Fifteen-year old Persephone trades sex for tattoo sessions that get her high and help her forget her girlfriend doesn't love her. Theo was the high-school bad boy who couldn't have the respectable girl he adored from afar, but now, sitting behind the counter of the last video store in town, worries wretchedly about the restless daughter he never understood. Natalie, trying to grasp the last shreds of respectability, would do anything to forget the baby she gave up long ago, including betray her husband and son.

Celeste, longing to connect, combines truth with fantasy, intervenes and interferes, finally understanding that things have gone terribly wrong and that she stands at the heart of he disaster."

Connected Underneath, by Linda Legters, is not a book I would have normally picked up on my own; however, I was pleasantly surprised while reading it. It a strangely fascinating story.

In the beginning, wheelchair-bound Celeste, makes assumptions about her neighbours and the lives they live. It's not that crazy. We all make these kinds of speculations about others everyday. In Connected Underneath, Celeste think about acting on hers. And when we make snap judgements and comments based on the small amount of other's lives that we observe, those comments may have far reaching consequences.

This short novel is very much about connections. That burning desire, or really, need for everyone to be deeply connected to someone else. And when those connections may not exist as we thought they did, it can shift us in profound ways.

"...we all came to realize - our search isn't for family, exactly, but for connection, connections that will keep us, so we won't drown, won't fly off, something that will connect us underneath." - Connected Underneath

Celeste is desperate for a connection to the outside world, and those she sees are either seeking connections in their own lives or grasping at connections that are about to slip away.

Legters' writing in Connected Underneath is so thoughtful, and the storyline weaved seamlessly in and out through the different characters. It is a quick read that will leave you thinking!

You can connect with the author on her website. Connected Underneath is available here at Amazon and here at Chapters.

xo
Jenn

Disclaimer – I received a copy of Connected Underneath from the author and TLC Book Tours in exchange for my review. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own. To check out what other bloggers had to say about Connected Underneath, here is the full book tour. Enjoy!

He Will Be My Ruin - Book Review

"My wrists burn.

Hours of trying to break free of the rope that binds my hands behind my back have left them raw, the rough cord scrubbing away my skin and cutting into my flesh. I'm sure I'll have unsightly scars.

Not that it will matter when I'm dead."


Death. Sex. Money. Power. That is how I would describe the major themes in K.A. Tucker's new book, He Will Be My Ruin.

Celine Gonzalez's death is labelled suicide. When her friend, Maggie, arrives to clean out her apartment and take care of her estate, a few things strike her as strange. Celine's cell phone is missing, there's cash hidden in secret boxes, and Maggie also discovers diaries that hold secrets no one could imagine. Maggie becomes more and more convinced that suicide just doesn't make sense.

But if it wasn't suicide what happened? Who was involved? Was it Grady, the dark haired superindentant with a sexy English accent? Jace Everett, the wealthy hedge fund manager with whom Celine may have been having an affair? Or someone else? Or was Celine just so overwhelmed with everything going on in her life that it was suicide?

Lisa Gardner, author of Alone, called this book "A smart, sexy thriller", and l completely agree. I devoured this book over the long weekend in May. The characters were all unique and interesting, and plot seriously kept me guessing until the very end.

The book is written primarily from Maggie's perspective, with a few of Celine's diary entries in between which is very effective because sometimes Celine tells the reader bits of information that Maggie doesn't yet know, adding to the suspense.

He Will Be My Ruin is perfect for readers who loved Gone Girl, The Silent Wife, or Girl on the Train. If you're in the mood for a good thriller, I highly recommend this book!

As an added bonus, I simply love finding new Canadian authors to read and support. This was my first K. A. Tucker book, and it won't be my last. Connect with her on her website, Facebook, and Twitter.

You can purchase He Will Be My Ruin here from Amazon and here from Chapters.

xo
Jenn

PS - For more of a teaser of what you can find in He Will Be My Ruin, watch the book trailer below.



Disclaimer – I received a copy of He Will Be My Ruin from TLC Book Tours in exchange for my review. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own. To check out what other bloggers had to say about He Will Be My Ruin, here is the full book tour. Enjoy!