Finding Bliss by Dina Silver

Once upon a time I was introduced to an author by the name of Dina Silver. I fell in love with her her books after reading One Pink Line followed by Kat Fight. Some may call her writing style chick lit.

I? Say her style is kick-ass.

I had the pleasure of receiving an advanced copy of her newest (and I must add my favorite) novel Finding Bliss. 

Here is the scoop on this summer must-read:


About:

Chloe Carlyle has always longed for the perfect family. 

Growing up with an alcoholic single mother, she has seen her share of heartbreak and disappointment, and is striving to build a new legacy for herself. After graduating from college, she takes a job working as a summer girl for the Reeds––a wealthy, accomplished family that personifies her American dream. Her summer takes an unexpected turn when the Reeds’ eldest son Tyler, the star quarterback for Notre Dame, shows up and turns her life upside down.

An ambitious young woman with a wry sense of humor, Chloe never imagined herself as the type to succumb to the looks and charms of the hometown hero, but she falls hard for Tyler, and is devastated when they part ways at the end of the summer. As she heads off to law school, Chloe tries to convince herself this was just a fling, but she can’t quite get over him. It’s not until Tyler contacts her out of the blue late one winter night that everything changes. 

After doing everything in her power to build the perfect life, Chloe soon learns that there are things beyond her control. She must draw on inner reserves of strength as her life takes unpredictable—and sometimes heartbreaking—twists and turns, and she finds herself faced with decisions she never thought she’d have to make. Poignant, heartfelt, and emotional,Finding Bliss is a reminder that you don’t have to live a fairytale life in order to have a happy ending.

My Thoughts:

As I claimed above, Finding Bliss is my new favorite Dina Silver novel. Chloe was lovable and while reading I saw myself as her. We all had the good looking guy in high school or college that we thought would never give us a second glance. It was fun to read Tyler and Chloe's journey from the beginning to the end.

There were moments in the book that broke my heart, and moments in the book that gave me butterflies. If you are looking for a book to toss in your beach bag as you head to the beach or the local pool, I highly recommend you giving Finding Bliss a chance. Between the romance and the flawless writing style of Dina Silver, you will finish the book wanting more and hoping your girlfriends read it so you can have a fun night of wine drinking and talking about the book.

I am giving Finding Bliss five out of five stars--no surprise there!

Where to Buy:

Now that you are dying to get your hands on the book, here are the details on where you can buy it.

Available now for pre-order and will be released on July 16th, 2013 through these retailers:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

About Dina Silver:

A graduate of Purdue University, Dina Silver has worked as a copywriter in the advertising industry for the past fifteen years. After seeing the bulk of her professional prose on brochures and direct-mail pieces, she is delighted to have made the transition to novelist. Her debut, One Pink Line, was chosen as a 2012 Top Title by IndieReader and was also a finalist in their 2012 Discovery Awards. Silver lives in Chicago with her husband and son.

Want to connect with Dina? Find her here:

Facebook

Goodreads

Her website

I was provided with a paperback copy of Finding Bliss in order to facilitate my review. All opinions expressed above are my own. No other compensation was given. A HUGE thank you to Dina Silver for this opportunity!

Transplanting Holly Oakwood by Di Jones

About the Book

Finding her lover in bed with her best friend was the worst thing ever, but leaving London for Los Angeles pushed trouble to a whole new level.

Holly Oakwood’s cosy life is shattered when her boyfriend has an affair with her best friend. Determined to mend her broken heart by throwing herself into her career, but unable to hide her contempt for her new boss, she loses her job as well.

She lands a dream job in a Consulate in LA, but that’s when her troubles really begin. She struggles to settle, loneliness begins to bite, and everyone around her is thin and shallow. She loses her confidence, makes a fool of herself once too often, and her new boss hates her. Can she salvage anything from the train wreck of her new life, or should she return to England?

What ensues is a comically entertaining series of events that catapult Holly into new friendships, the promise of romance and the realization that home is where the heart is.

My Thoughts

I have to be honest; when I saw the reviews on Goodreads I was not sure if I would like this book. As soon as I opened it to the first page? I could not put it down! I read into the wee hours of the morning and carried my Nook around everywhere that I went.

I loved Holly's character. Di Jones did a great job on making her characters really stand out and easy to remember who was who--which is a huge bonus to me. Holly was likable from the start, and I found myself rooting her on throughout the book.

Her new boss was not a person that I would find myself liking in real life. She was shallow and so self-absorbed that I could not help but hope she would get knocked down at some point.

Bottom line? Great book, easy read, and perfect for lounging around during the upcoming summer months. I rate it 5 out of 5 stars--and I hope you will decide to pick it up and give it a shot. I cannot wait to read more by Di Jones!

Where to Buy

Transplanting Holly Oakwood

Meeting Miss Mollie

About the Author

I was born in Liverpool, England to parents who had a strong sense of adventure and moved many times.  I’ve lived in Canada, the United States, England and New Zealand.  I’ve worked in a variety of jobs ranging from envelope stuffer to bakery assistant, librarian to trade development executive, but none of my jobs were as much fun as the one that allowed me to write and get paid for it.  That was a few years ago, and each year it’s become more and more apparent what I want to do is write full time, a dream that first occurred to me at seventeen.

I write chick lit – light hearted and humorous stories for and about women who value their families, their friendships, their careers, their independence, who have a sense of adventure, and who live and love with passion.

Like my characters, I love my family and friends, beautiful shoes, anything sparkly, the ‘occasional’ drink, parties, and a good belly laugh.  I’m addicted to shopping, chocolate, bubble bath and anything else that smells nice, and the sort of tv programmes you’d never publicly admit to watching.

I live in a lovingly renovated home overlooking Auckland’s beautiful Waitemata Harbour, with my trusted friends Bronson Boxer and Dolce Dane.  They keep me fit and exercised, scare the burglars away, sit loyally by my side throughout my late night writing sessions, and hang on my every word when I read final drafts aloud.  They truly are my biggest fans, and I theirs!

I love my life, but not so much that there’s not room to live a load of other lives, through the hearts and minds of my characters, all of whom I adore, and some of whom I’m fortunate enough to call friend.

Connect with Di Jones

A huge thank you to Chick Lit Plus and Di Jones for providing me an ebook in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed above are mine and no other compensation was given.