Thursday, April 9, 2015

Straight Reading from the Library - The Truth about Lilly by Christy McKee



This is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Christy will be awarding a $40 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

READ THE BLURB

Disgraced...
Lilly Talbot never imagined she would be starting her life over again. Losing her good name for something she didn’t do has driven her to move into an old lake house she inherited in Vermont. Upon arrival, she is shocked. Half the roof is about to slide into Lake Champlain. Even more upsetting, the man who can fix it will only agree if she trades him room and board for his labor. What will the good people of Haley think of her sharing a house with the handsome bachelor?

A man with a past...
Connor “Mac” McQueen, once one of the infamous Whiz Kids of Wall Street, spent three years in prison for insider trading. Only one thing sustained him during his time inside, the thought of owning Point Cottage, a home he’d fallen in love with years ago. He plans to turn the house into a stunning showcase for his eco-friendly home construction business.

Secrets and lies...
Now someone’s trying to drive Lilly from her home. Is it someone from her past? Mac has secrets of his own-- that could ruin lives if revealed. But if Lilly and Mac are to have a future together they must first delve into the past for answers and accept some difficult truths about each other. Only then, will they know if true love is in their hearts.


READ THE REVIEW

First, the thing that made the biggest impression on me while reading this book is that Christy McKee has some serious skills.  Honestly, her writing was so seamless I often forgot I was actually reading and just fell into the story, effortlessly absorbing the goings-on of the characters.  That takes some doing, and it impressed me a lot.

That's not to say that the plot and characters weren't good, too. They were!  She created an incredible cast of unique, believable, interesting characters.  It's a small town book (my favorite!) so there needs to be plenty of entertaining, diverse people populating the town and the author nailed it. From the folks working at the local diner, to the construction workers who are doing the improvements on Lilly's house, they all fit the bill.

The plot wasn't that unusual, though it did have some new twists.  There are only so many tropes in romance, so having a single man and woman forced to live under the same roof has been done many times before, but the author has given this her own flavor (literally ... the description of the meals Lilly makes made my mouth water).

No, the book isn't perfect. There were a few things that required me to suspend my belief a bit more than was always easy and, as noted, the plot wasn't crazy new and unique, but honestly that didn't matter.  The Truth About Lilly grabbed and held my attention to the very end and earned itself a solid 4 star review.  I'm definitely adding this author to my TBR list and recommend you do, too!

MEET THE AUTHOR

Christy McKee began her career in TV news and eventually found her way into advertising and finally fiction. She believes a good story should be about characters who win your heart, sometimes move you to tears and occasionally make you laugh. As a reader, Christy hopes you'll be swept into her characters' lives enjoy getting to know them, experience the challenges they endure and be with them when they come out on the other side.

http://christymckee.com
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7 comments:

  1. Judith,

    Thank you for your thoughtful review. Having to write the cooking scenes with Lilly--I gained a few pounds just sitting at my computer!

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  2. Great review, sounds like a good read.

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  3. Great excerpt, sounds really good and I love the cover. Entering under the name of Virginia.

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  4. Just reading the review renews my interest in this book! Thank you for the post and the giveaway!

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  5. I always enjoy reading about the author!

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  6. Thanks so much for the review!

    Trix, vitajex(at)aol(Dot)com

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