Author submission in exchange for an honest review.
Title:
Embracing the Lemonade Life
Author:
Sandra Sookoo
Release Date:
August 15, 2011
Publisher:
Desert Breeze Publishing
Word Count:
approx. 33,000
Purchase Links:
Author's Website:
Description:
Clara Tildon, a cancer survivor, has no time for defeatism. She’s opened up the Cute as a Button B & B in Bridgewater, Indiana, and along with her guinea pig, is embracing the lemonade lifestyle. Everything is perfect, except for the nagging sensation that she would still like to fall in love.
Jake Yates has returned to Bridgewater, the town he grew up in, for his friend’s wedding and he’s not happy about it. The people of Bridgewater can keep their small town life, it’s in his past and that’s where he intends it to stay. Even loneliness can’t make him reconsider his decisions.
A chance meeting. A fleeting kiss. Suddenly two polar opposites get a unique chance at love. But can Clara give up living in the moment long enough to see Jake as an opportunity she needs to plan for? Can Jake alter his well-laid plans to fit Clara in his life? Or will they both let love get away?
Jake Yates has returned to Bridgewater, the town he grew up in, for his friend’s wedding and he’s not happy about it. The people of Bridgewater can keep their small town life, it’s in his past and that’s where he intends it to stay. Even loneliness can’t make him reconsider his decisions.
A chance meeting. A fleeting kiss. Suddenly two polar opposites get a unique chance at love. But can Clara give up living in the moment long enough to see Jake as an opportunity she needs to plan for? Can Jake alter his well-laid plans to fit Clara in his life? Or will they both let love get away?
Joey's Review:
Embracing the Lemonade Life is a novella-length story, so there’s a shorter amount of space to develop characters and story that touches the reader. I’m always thrilled when I find novellas that succeed at just that.
Clara is a cancer-survivor who is living for the moment and trying not to dwell on the possibility of relapse. Jake is back in town for a friend’s wedding, and not expecting his jaded, cynical outlook on life to be challenged by the town’s local innkeeper.
It’s always difficult to review short stories, because it’s so easy to give away too much. What I can say is that Sandra Sookoo packs this story with emotion. There’s sweetness, humor, a little angst, and hopefulness. Clara is someone you can’t help but root for, and Jake is someone who needs an old soul like Clara. The chemistry works because Jake views Clara as a teacher, and wants to see the world through the lemon-tinted glasses she wears.
The subject of illness in romances can often feel contrived, but in this book, that isn’t so. It is handled with the right blend of drama and realism. My only complaint is that I wish the story was longer, so I could have the opportunity to learn more about this lovely couple. I highly recommend this story to anyone who loves having their heartstrings tugged.
Joey's Rating:
Thanks so much for a fantastic review! So glad you enjoyed the book :-)
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