What’s in my Bookish {Beauty} Bag? ~ Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

Guys. OMG.  This book.  I could just leave it at this but I will give you a little more 🙂  The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen is the book you have to read.  It is everything you want in a book.  Suspense, thrills, fabulousness, twists- OH THE  TWISTS- it has it all.  No wonder it was optioned by the folks who brought Girl on the Train to the big screen!  I am over the moon that Greer and Sarah opened their bags and shared their must-have beauty products!

via Amazon ~

“A jaw-dropping psychological thriller.” ―Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Fiendishly clever…in the vein of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train. This one will keep you guessing.” –Anita Shreve, New York Times bestselling author of The Stars are Fire

When you read this book, you will make many assumptions.
You will assume you are reading about a jealous ex-wife.
You will assume she is obsessed with her replacement – a beautiful, younger woman who is about to marry the man they both love.
You will assume you know the anatomy of this tangled love triangle.
Assume nothing.

Twisted and deliciously chilling, Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen’s The Wife Between Us exposes the secret complexities of an enviable marriage – and the dangerous truths we ignore in the name of love.

Read between the lies.

A 2018 Indie Next Pick

Praise for The Wife Between Us:

“A clever thriller with masterful twists.” – Karin Slaughter, New York Times bestselling author of The Kept Woman

“The Wife Between Us delivers a whip smart, twisty plot in a taut, pacy narrative. It’s terrific and troubling. This is one scary love triangle where you won’t know who to trust. I loved it.” –Gilly Macmillan, New York Times bestselling author of What She Knew

“A twisty, mind-bending novel about marriage and betrayal. A gripping plot and fascinating characters; this book will keep you turning the pages and guessing until the very end. A must-read!” –Lauren Weisberger, New York Times bestselling author of The Devil Wears Prada

“This amazing story gallops along at breakneck speed, with an ending that smacks you between the eyes and takes your breath away. These authors are destined to become trail blazers in the field of psychological suspense books that explode in your hands!” ―Nancy Simpson-Brice, Book Vault

“Like a house of mirrors, The Wife Between Us kept me guessing around every corner, delving into the complexities of marriage, friendship, and obsession.” ―Javier Ramirez, The Book Table

Greer’s Bag ~

What is your bag of choice?

I have more bags than I can count and each one serves a different purpose. My current favorite is a Linde Gallery St. Barth Bag – it’s large enough to hold my laptop, but it’s also super lightweight.  I especially love it because it’s not the obvious choice. In fact, I’ve never seen anyone else with this brand.

What do you always carry in your bag/purse/carry-on for beauty products?  

I always carry three or four moisturizing lipsticks or glosses. My favorite right now is BeautyCounter Lip Sheer in Petal. I read about the brand on Goop and I really like it. It goes on smoothly and smells like summer.

What are you currently reading (can be books/magazines)

I am currently reading Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward.

Any other fun item/must-have that you always have with you 🙂

I always carry my phone because I’m obsessed with podcasts. Some of my favorites are Happier with Gretchen Rubin, Happier in Hollywood, By The Book, It’s Been a Minute and Fresh Air.

Sarah’s Bag ~

What is your bag of choice?

I alternate between a few, but I just bought a cute Free People hobo style bag that I can sling across my body or wear over my shoulder. I like the neutral color and the fact that it has a zillion pockets to store everything from my ever-present pen and notebook, to hair bands and earbuds for the gym!

What are your top favorite beauty picks?  

When Greer and I did our author photo shoot, the makeup artist introduced me to Make Up For Ever and I’ve used their water-based foundation ever since. It’s so sheer and light, and it’s nice knowing an expert chose my shade (Y305).

What do you always carry in your bag/purse/carry-on for beauty products?  

Trish McEvoy lip gloss in Berry, Nars Radiant Concealer in Custard, and the same mascara I’ve used since college – Maybelline Great Lash in the signature pink and green tube!

What are you currently reading (can be books/magazines)

Psychology Today magazine for inspiration for the new book Greer and I are writing!

And any other fun item/must-have that you always have with you 🙂

A pen and notebook, always. But if I’m caught without, I’ve been known to scribble down book ideas in eyeliner on my hand!

 

Follow Greer and Sarah:

Facebook ~ Greer , Sarah

Twitter ~ Greer , Sarah

Instagram ~ Greer, Sarah

 

*Thanks to St. Martins for the review copy and interview.

BLISS and BEAUTY giveaway! featuring Bliss by Shay Mitchell and Michaela Blaney

I am a HUGE Pretty Little Liars fan so of course I was thrilled to see one of the stars, Shay Mitchell, write a book.  Not only that but it was titled Bliss, I am a little partial to that word 😉  Shay co-wrote the book with her bestie Michaela Blaney,which when writing with a friend always makes for a dishy read.  I am so thrilled to be able to giveaway two copies of the book, now out in paperback, one for you and one for YOUR bestie as well as a beauty treat for you both!  Just comment below on this post- tell me what you love about your bestie 🙂 AND follow me on Facebook or Instagram!  Winner will be picked next week and is open to US residents only. Happy, bliss-filled reading and good luck! xo

About the book via Goodreads ~

Sophia Marcus, 21, has already mapped out every aspect of her glamorous life as a Hollywood actor on her vision board. But her life right now in Toronto is anything but exciting. Attending fruitless auditions during the day and working at a douche-y club at night, Sophia is starting to feel like she’s going nowhere…slowly.

Demi Michaels, Sophia’s best friend, didn’t go to college after high school. Short of ideas for her own future, she puts her energy into building the perfect relationship with an older man. And when that relationship crashes and burns, Demi is left to pick up the pieces.

Sophia’s friend (and Demi’s frenemy) Leandra Hunting doesn’t give a crap about hard work or a loving relationship. She has other plans for her future. After college graduation, Leandra sets out to travel the world in the yachts, planes and limos of ridiculously wealthy men. Will any of them be able to show her what love really means–if she can take off her Chanel sunglasses long enough to see it?

Set in the exotic, intoxicating worlds of Hollywood, Thailand, and London, Bliss paints a relatable portrait of life in your early twenties with equal parts optimism and fear, hope and disappointment, expectation and reality. It’s the Age of Uncertainty when you can count on nothing, but, if you’re lucky enough to have one truly great friend, you can survive just about anything.

Shay Mitchell (right):

SHAY MITCHELL, 28, is a Canadian actress and star of the ABC family drama Pretty Little Liars. In addition to acting and running her lifestyle blog amoreandvita.com, Shay works with the Free the Children Foundation, an organization that fights exploitation of children around the world; The Trevor Project, a suicide prevention organization, and the NOH8 Campaign for marriage and gender equality.

Michaela Blaney (left):

MICHAELA BLANEY, 28, is an American and Canadian marketing professional. She is the co-founder of amoreandvita.com, a lifestyle blog with 75,000+ subscribers.

Shay and Michaela both live in LA. Bliss is their first novel.

 

*Thanks to St.Martin’s Press for providing copies for the giveaway!

GIVEAWAY ~ A Sparking Novel and Dazzling Manicure

Hi book beauties!  I am back with another amazing novel and beauty giveaway.  This week I am so excited to be able to feature Hazel Gaynor’s new book The Girl From Savoy as well as the perfect kit to a flawless summer manicure from Julep.  This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.  Head over to my Instagram page to see how to enter!  Good luck 🙂

 

The Girl From Savoy by Hazel Gaynor via Goodreads

Presenting a dazzling new historical novel … The Girl From The Savoy is as sparkling as champagne and as thrilling as the era itself.

Sometimes life gives you cotton stockings. Sometimes it gives you a Chanel gown …

Dolly Lane is a dreamer; a downtrodden maid who longs to dance on the London stage, but her life has been fractured by the Great War. Memories of the soldier she loved, of secret shame and profound loss, by turns pull her back and spur her on to make a better life.

When she finds employment as a chambermaid at London’s grandest hotel, The Savoy, Dolly takes a step closer to the glittering lives of the Bright Young Things who thrive on champagne, jazz and rebellion. Right now, she must exist on the fringes of power, wealth and glamor—she must remain invisible and unimportant.

But her fortunes take an unexpected turn when she responds to a struggling songwriter’s advertisement for a ‘muse’ and finds herself thrust into London’s exhilarating theatre scene and into the lives of celebrated actress, Loretta May, and her brother, Perry. Loretta and Perry may have the life Dolly aspires to, but they too are searching for something.

Now, at the precipice of the life she has and the one she longs for, the girl from The Savoy must make difficult choices: between two men; between two classes, between everything she knows and everything she dreams of. A brighter future is tantalizingly close—but can a girl like Dolly ever truly leave her past behind?

 

I have 3 beautiful polish shades as well as some tools to perfect the most amazing manicure thanks to Julep!

Welcome to Julep

We believe everyday looks and trying new trends should be easy, effortless, and inspiring—reinforcing founder Jane Park’s philosophy that beauty should do more than make you look good, it should make you feel good, too.

*Jojo Moyes Giveaway*

If you have yet to read the amazingness of Jojo Moyes you are missing out!  I did a feature of Me Before You and its sequel After You a few months back and was completely obsessed with both.  See here.  On June 3rd the feature film of Me Before You will be released starring Emilia Clark and Sam Claflin.  You can see the trailer right here!  I am luck y enough to be able to giveaway a copy of Me Before You as well as After You to a lucky reader, thanks to my friends at Viking/Peguin.  Just comment below and I will pick a winner at the end of the week.  Open to US residents only 🙂

 

Friday GIVEAWAY

When I started this blog I wasn’t sure the direction it would go.  I started with my favorite beauty tips and musings about life.  I then started to read other blogs and see people write about their favorite books I knew it was a no brainer thus Bliss, Beauty and BOOKS was created and I am so glad that I did.  Being able to connect with authors and other book lovers and bloggers is so fun and rewarding.  I am so lucky to be able to help share the love of books and help support amazing authors.  With that being said I decided share the book love with a lucky reader!  Just comment below or follow me on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter to win the THREE titles listed below!  The winner will be picked at random and will be announced next week. Only available to US residents.  Thanks for the support!  Happy Reading 🙂

 

Whats included:

 

Every Anxious Wave by Mo Daviau

via Goodreads:

Good guy Karl Bender is a thirty-something bar owner whose life lacks love and meaning. When he stumbles upon a time-travelling worm hole in his closet, Karl and his best friend Wayne develop a side business selling access to people who want to travel back in time to listen to their favorite bands. It’s a pretty ingenious plan, until Karl, intending to send Wayne to 1980, transports him back to 980 instead. Though Wayne sends texts extolling the quality of life in tenth century “Mannahatta,” Karl is distraught that he can’t bring his friend back.

Enter brilliant, prickly, overweight astrophysicist, Lena Geduldig. Karl and Lena’s connection is immediate. While they work on getting Wayne back, Karl and Lena fall in love — with time travel, and each other. Unable to resist meddling with the past, Karl and Lena bounce around time. When Lena ultimately prevents her own long-ago rape, she alters the course of her life and threatens her future with Karl.

A high-spirited and engaging novel, Mo Daviau’s EVERY ANXIOUS WAVE plays ball with the big questions of where we would go and who we would become if we could rewrite our pasts, as well as how to hold on to love across time.

 

Corrupted by Lisa Scottoline

via Goodreads:

Bennie Rosato the founder of the Rosato & DiNunzio law firm hides her big heart beneath her tough-as-nails exterior and she doesn’t like to fail. Now, a case from her past shows her how differently things might have turned out. Thirteen years ago, Bennie Rosato took on Jason Leftavick, a twelve-year-old boy who was sent to a juvenile detention center after fighting a class bully. Bennie couldn’t free Jason, and to this day it’s the case that haunts her. Jason has grown up in and out of juvenile prison, and his adulthood hasn’t been any easier. Bennie no longer represents those accused of murder, but when Jason is indicted for killing the same bully he fought with as a kid, she sees no choice but to represent him. She doesn’t know whether or not to believe his claims of innocence, but she knows she owes him for past failures–of the law, of the juvenile justice system, and of herself. Forced to relive the darkest period of her life, Bennie will do everything in her power to get the truth, and justice.

 

The Restaurant Critic’s Wife by Elizabeth LaBan

via Goodreads:

Lila Soto has a master’s degree that’s gathering dust, a work-obsessed husband, two kids, and lots of questions about how exactly she ended up here.

In their new city of Philadelphia, Lila’s husband, Sam, takes his job as a restaurant critic a little too seriously. To protect his professional credibility, he’s determined to remain anonymous. Soon his preoccupation with anonymity takes over their lives as he tries to limit the family’s contact with anyone who might have ties to the foodie world. Meanwhile, Lila craves adult conversation and some relief from the constraints of her homemaker role. With her patience wearing thin, she begins to question everything: her decision to get pregnant again, her break from her career, her marriage—even if leaving her ex-boyfriend was the right thing to do. As Sam becomes more and more fixated on keeping his identity secret, Lila begins to wonder if her own identity has completely disappeared—and what it will take to get it back.

 

Good luck readers and thanks for the support! 

 

 

 

 

2016 Historical Fiction GIVEAWAY!

While I am working on my next review, for an amazing book that I can’t wait to share, I thought I would share my first giveaway for the year!  If you are a lover of historical fiction then you will love this giveaway.  I am giving away three titles that are the perfect compliment to a winter’s day.  All you have to do is head over to my Instagram and Facebook and “Like” either page OR leave a comment below.  I will select the winner at random.  This giveaway is only available for residents of the U.S.  Good luck and happy reading. (See below for Goodreads synopses)

 

The Violinist of Venice by Alyssa Palumbo ~ via Goodreads

A sweeping historical novel of composer and priest Antonio Vivaldi, a secret wealthy mistress, and their passion for music and each other

Like most 18th century Venetians, Adriana d’Amato adores music-except her strict merchant father has forbidden her to cultivate her gift for the violin. But she refuses to let that stop her from living her dreams and begins sneaking out of her family’s palazzo under the cover of night to take violin lessons from virtuoso violinist and composer Antonio Vivaldi. However, what begins as secret lessons swiftly evolves into a passionate, consuming love affair.

Adriana’s father is intent on seeing her married to a wealthy, prominent member of Venice’s patrician class-and a handsome, charming suitor, whom she knows she could love, only complicates matters-but Vivaldi is a priest, making their relationship forbidden in the eyes of the Church and of society. They both know their affair will end upon Adriana’s marriage, but she cannot anticipate the events that will force Vivaldi to choose between her and his music. The repercussions of his choice-and of Adriana’s own choices-will haunt both of their lives in ways they never imagined.

Spanning more than 30 years of Adriana’s life, Alyssa Palombo’s The Violinist of Venice is a story of passion, music, ambition, and finding the strength to both fall in love and to carry on when it ends.

 

Medicis Daughter by Sophie Peridot ~via Goodreads

Winter, 1564. Beautiful young Princess Margot is summoned to the court of France, where nothing is what it seems and a wrong word can lead to ruin. Known across Europe as Madame la Serpente, Margot’s intimidating mother, Queen Catherine de Médicis, is a powerful force in a country devastated by religious war. Among the crafty nobility of the royal court, Margot learns the intriguing and unspoken rules she must live by to please her poisonous family.

Eager to be an obedient daughter, Margot accepts her role as a marriage pawn, even as she is charmed by the powerful, charismatic Duc de Guise. Though Margot’s heart belongs to Guise, her hand will be offered to Henri of Navarre, a Huguenot leader and a notorious heretic looking to seal a tenuous truce. But the promised peace is a mirage: her mother’s schemes are endless, and her brothers plot vengeance in the streets of Paris. When Margot’s wedding devolves into the bloodshed of the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre, she will be forced to choose between her family and her soul.

Médicis Daughter is historical fiction at its finest, weaving a unique coming-of-age story and a forbidden love with one of the most dramatic and violent events in French history.

 

A Taste for Nightshade by Martine Bailey ~via Goodreads

Manchester 1787. When budding young criminal Mary Jebb swindles Michael Croxon’s brother with a blank pound note, he chases her into the night and sets in motion a train of sinister events. Condemned to seven years of transportation to Australia, Mary sends him a ‘Penny Heart’-a token of her vow of revenge.
Two years later, Michael marries naïve young Grace Moore. Although initially overjoyed at the union, Grace quickly realizes that her husband is more interested in her fortune than her company. Lonely and desperate for companionship, she turns to her new cook to help mend her ailing marriage. But Mary Jebb, shipwrecked, maltreated, and recently hired, has different plans for the unsuspecting owners of Delafosse Hall.
A Taste for Nightshade is a thrilling historical novel that combines recipes, mystery and a dark struggle between two desperate women, sure to appeal to fans of Sarah Waters and Carolly Erickson.

 

*Thanks to St.Martin’s Press and Thomas Dunne Books for providing copies for this giveaway.