Monday, April 19, 2010

Book Review: Happy Hour by Michelle Scott

Happy HourHappy Hour

About the Book:  SAN DIEGO - Mar 4, 2010 - Every woman has that group of friends in her life ~ her "go to girls" The friends that she can turn to who "get it." The ones who are there for you no matter what. The ones who laugh with you and cry with you. The ones that will always be there. These are the women of Napa Valley. 


Jamie is the editor-in-chief of Wine Lover's Magazine, a single mother and caretaker to her senile mother-in-law ~ a woman who thinks her daily caregiver is Dean Martin. Jamie is still recovering, financially and emotionally from the death of her husband several years earlier. And when she finds what could be the key to happiness, can she open the door and let it in? Or will her feelings of guilt and betrayal hold her back?


Danielle is a vintner and the divorced mom of two. She's basking in what she knows is going to be a successful launch of her new wines. Wines she created on her own after her divorce. But  what she doesn't expect is for her daughter to come home with news that will shock her to her  core. Will an old flame help her accept the changes that are coming and find the love she's been missing in her life for so long? Or will a tragedy that no one sees coming change their lives forever?


Kat is a sommelier, co-owner of a magnificent restaurant with her chef husband, and mother of a blended family. But is being deeply in love with your husband enough to get them through the teenage years, step-children and exes? And what happens when old faces return and she's faced with the knowledge that not everything is what you thought it was. What happens when she finds she was mad at the wrong person and finds out the "right one" was in the wrong? Can she forgive and move on? Can love overcome everything and truly bring a family together?  


Alyssa is an artist and gallery owner with a secret of her own. One she was hoping would stay buried deep in her closet. But the time has come for her to put someone else first, to face the past and to deal with her demons. What she never expected to find was love and her "home."


No matter what is going on in their own lives, no matter the heartache or joy they're experiencing these four women are always there to love, support and encourage each other.  This book includes recipes and wine pairings, discussion questions and an interview with the  author.


About the author:  Michele Scott is the author of the bestselling Wine Lover's Mystery series and The Michaela Bancroft mysteries. She's also penned the romantic thriller El Patrón. Scott is a graduate from The University of Southern California with a degree in journalism. She resides in San Diego with her husband, three children and an assortment of animals. 


My Comments:  For self-published novel, I'd say this one is better than average.  I've decided that books get 50 pages to grab me, or they are gone.  When I first picked this one up, I figured it for a 50 pager, based on the layout alone.  I don't quite know what it is, but may self-published books have the same "look" if you just open to a random page and glance at them--a look books by major publishing houses don't have.  This is a good story with interesting characters; and unlike some books about 40-somethings who have problems in their lives, I didn't want to shake these gals and tell them to grow up or get a life.  The book is rough around the edges with some typos or grammatical errors that a good editor would have caught, but it kept me around for the whole 300+ pages.  Grade: B-

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