Showing posts with label Carla Laureano. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Carla Laureano. Show all posts

Sunday, September 24, 2023

Review and Author Interview: The Beacon Street Bookshop by Carla Laureano



My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it



Synopsis

Ever since Olivia Quinn lost her husband to a freak plane crash, she’s been focused on one thing—making a stable life for her teen stepdaughter, Taylor, of whom she’s the sole guardian. But when she loses her job as a children’s book editor because she refuses to relocate from Colorado to New York, all her hard-won stability is shattered. Then the opportunity arises to open Liv’s dream bookshop in Haven Ridge, offering not only the solution to her financial problems, but a chance to bond with her stepdaughter and become a real family for the first time. Soon, the wild idea transforms into a thriving nonprofit, thanks to the generosity and enthusiasm of the town—and a handsome contractor who stirs feelings in Liv she'd thought might be gone forever. But just as she begins to lean into the new life she’s made for herself, a figure from her late husband’s past puts the life she’s been building with Taylor in jeopardy. And Liv must face the possibility that following her heart might just cost her a daughter.

My Review

I absolutely love the themes of restoration and revitalization in Haven Ridge! The small Colorado town has been "cursed" since a scandal rocked the community and it was handled badly. Families moved away, businesses and stores emptied. But with a new zeal for hope mixed with some faith and goodwill, the younger generation is slowly returning- breathing new life and enterprise into the town that is forgettable to many, but not to those with important memories there. 
 
Liv and her teenage stepdaughter Taylor have a complicated relationship, and their growth throughout the book was inspiring as they communicate more and create lasting bonds. Their healing dynamic is challenged with changes they are facing as new people come into their lives, but the bookshop is their shared endeavor and creates opportunities for them to be consistent and present with each other, despite the personal and emotional struggles. Liv and Charlie have great chemistry and I enjoyed their special moments together as their romance developed. I can't wait to read the next book in the series!

Disclosure statement: A complimentary copy of this book was provided from a tour group, publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, OR borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR purchased. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.

Don't miss the previous books in the Haven Ridge series . . .


* The e-book of The Brick House Cafe is free to subscribers at carlalaureano.com
 
 
About the Author

Carla Laureano is the two-time RITA® award-winning author of sixteen books, spanning the genres of contemporary romance and Celtic fantasy. A graduate of Pepperdine University, she worked in sales and marketing for more than a decade before leaving corporate life behind to write full-time. In 2022, she founded Sophisticated Fiction to provide editorial, critique, and coaching services to authors of all levels. She currently lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband, two sons, and an opinionated tortoiseshell cat named Willow.






Q & A with Carla Laureano

What is the Haven Ridge series about?

The Haven Ridge series is a small-town romance series with a magical realism twist: the town has gotten away from its founding mission to provide a haven for people who needed a fresh start and a community, and as such, it’s slowly dwindling away. The prequel novella, The Brick House Cafe, goes into the history of the town and its goal to rebuild itself by drawing back the people it needs and who in turn need it. Each full length shows how the town draws people together and how the people in it contribute to the new life of the town!


What is The Beacon Street Bookshop about?

I introduced Liv Quinn in The Broken Hearts Bakery as the catalyst that got Gemma back to Haven Ridge, and we got a little window into her struggles of being a young window and guardian of a teenage stepdaughter. We also saw she was facing a pretty big work decision—stay in Haven Ridge or move back to New York in order to keep her job. It probably surprises no one that she decided to stay in Haven Ridge, but this story is about how she deals with all the change in her life—not the least being how to incorporate romance back into it while raising her late husband’s daughter.

I love this story because it’s angsty and heartfelt, but it’s still got some delicious new-love tingles throughout. This is definitely the most romantic book of the series so far.


The Beacon Street Bookshop has some serious themes. Why did you choose to write about them in this book?

I’m in a similar phase in life to Liv—I have two teenage boys, a recent high school graduate who is continuing his education and starting his career, and one who is just entering the high school years. There are lots of feelings attached to this phase of parenting, not the least of which is figuring out where to draw the line between letting them have their independence and still remaining a strong influence in their lives. I channeled some of that uncertainty into Liv, made more difficult by the fact that she hadn’t raised Taylor since birth and has a bit of a complex about being the stepmom.


What was the easiest scene in The Beacon Street Bookshop to write?

I’ve had the meet cute between Liv and Charlie in my head since the beginning of the series, so I couldn’t wait to get it down on paper. “Love” at first sight is super fun to write, especially when the parties involved are completely determined not to acknowledge it.


What was the hardest scene in The Beacon Street Bookshop to write?


Believe it or not, the final chapter before the epilogue! And I don’t think it was all that successful initially, because my beta readers said it fell a little flat. So I had to rewrite that last chapter and the epilogue several times until I felt like I’d given readers (and the characters) enough closure to end the book. But I love the way it turned out in the end. Liv and Charlie’s happy ending feels really satisfying now.


What is your favorite scene involving Liv and Charlie?

There’s a particular scene where Liv is served up a gut punch and her first instinct is to ask Charlie to stay with her. Until then she’d been sort of resisting what he meant to her, but he’s the one that she wants for support when the chips are down.


Which character was the hardest to write?

Probably Taylor. She’s very mercurial, so I was constantly walking the line between her being sympathetic and irritating (like a real teenager, at times). I’m not going to say that I drew from some of the more difficult moments of my parenting journey, but let’s just say that I sympathize with Liv over Taylor’s bouts of snottiness.


Which character was the easiest to write?

Liv felt very natural to write, which is a surprise because she’s less like me than some of the other characters in the series. But I’ve always liked her combination of determination and self-doubt, which is something I think we can all relate to.


What would readers never guess about the writing of the book?


This is a much-abbreviated version of the first draft! I always find the second full-length books in a series a bit difficult to write because I have to incorporate everything that’s happened before as well as set up the books to come… and that was reflected in the fact that the book was about fifty pages too long! It took a very painful process of cutting and rearranging to get this into its final format. (Aspiring authors who aren’t happy with their first drafts take heart!)


Where did you get the idea for this book?

I knew that I was going to get Liv together with a down-on-his-luck contractor who was the polar opposite from her late husband as soon as I conceived of the empty accessory unit above her garage and the work-in-progress kitchen…long before the other books were written! But as I started to develop the Haven Ridge series, I decided to lean into all the businesses and features about small town life that gave me warm fuzzies. And small independent bookstores are one of the things I love best (along with bakeries) so it was natural to make Liv part of the book world and have her open a bookshop.


What kind of research did you do to write this series?

The majority of my research involved the setting: Haven Ridge is set rather vaguely in a real area of southern Colorado, between Salida and Buena Vista. It has a colorful and interesting history, so coming up with a founding story that was plausible (as detailed in the prequel novella, The Brick House Cafe) and fit with the actual history of the area was my first priority. From there, it was getting the architectural and topographical details right. Fortunately, my experience in publishing made writing Liv pretty easy, but I did have to email the very kind and helpful people at the Chaffee County Building Department about how contractor licenses worked in the area.


Most of your books are set in Colorado. Is Haven Ridge based on a real place, or is it made up?

Haven Ridge is completely made up, but it’s heavily based on Salida, Colorado, which is in the same area. Given the fact that they were founded about the same time and sit in the same general area, it made sense to model the architecture and hot springs on the real place.


What can we expect next from you?

I’m planning for the Haven Ridge series to run for at least four books, not including the prequel, so you can expect two more after this one! I’m hoping to finish up the series with a Christmas novel, which will be the first one I’ve ever written.


What can you tell us about the next book in the Haven Ridge series?

The next book in the series is The Larkspur House. It will be the story of Will Parker, who we got to meet briefly in The Beacon Street Bookshop, his sister, Erin, and a brand-new heroine that we haven’t yet met! Plus lots of historic-mansion vibes and a century-old mystery. I think readers who enjoyed Provenance are going to like this one!

Friday, April 14, 2023

Double Review: The Brick House Cafe and The Broken Hearts Bakery by Carla Laureano

 

My rating: 5 stars / It was amazing


 
The Brick House Cafe e-book can be downloaded at the author's website
(at the time of this post)

Synopsis

**Welcome to Haven Ridge, Colorado—a fading town that might just have a little magic left...**

Travel writer Mallory Adams accepted her latest assignment on the mountain towns of southern Colorado in the hopes it would offer an escape from all the recent failures in her life—quitting her history graduate studies, losing her apartment, being dumped by her boyfriend for another woman. So when a series of mishaps lands her in the dying town of Haven Ridge, it feels more like a punishment than an opportunity.

Thomas Rivas returned home after a personal tragedy to find Haven Ridge much diminished. But when a plucky and beautiful writer blows into his family’s cafe—something that his mystic-minded Granny Pearl claims is no accident—it seems like the chance to put the town back on the map. Soon Thomas makes it his mission to make Mallory fall in love with Haven Ridge and its fascinating, forgotten past—he just doesn’t expect to lose his own heart in the bargain.

With its quirky cast of characters, sweet love-after-loss romance, and small-town mystery, *The Brick House Cafe* reminds us that it’s never too late to believe in the magic of second chances.


My Review

This prequel novella in the Haven Ridge series was a perfect introduction to the small Colorado town, through the eyes of the stranded Mallory. She's at a crossroads in her life, and her optimism combined with a curious mind for history appreciated the story of the women who founded the town. Thomas is standoffish at first, but when we get his perspective we discover why. I enjoyed their time together and the way Mallory helps Thomas open up to a relationship in his future. Mallory is more confused because of the options before her career-wise, but Haven Ridge's magic works it's charm and all Mallory has to do is be open to new possibilities.

Disclosure statement: A complimentary copy of this book was provided from a tour group, publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, OR borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR purchased. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.


My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it



Synopsis

Sometimes the town that broke your heart is the only place that can heal you.

When Gemma left her hometown of Haven Ridge, Colorado, she swore she’d never return. And she’s kept that promise, leaving old shadows behind and building her reputation as one of LA’s preeminent family law attorneys. But when her lifelong best friend begs Gemma to come stay with her teen stepdaughter while she’s on a business trip, she doesn’t have the heart to refuse. She’ll simply keep a low profile, do her honorary aunt duties for Taylor, and be gone before anyone notices.

But Haven Ridge seems to have a mind of its own, and before she knows it, Gemma finds herself caught up with new friends and old rivalries. When Taylor is targeted by teen bullies, Gemma does the only thing she knows how to do: ply her honorary niece with baked goods and words of affirmation. Soon her temporary lodgings are ground zero for teenage girls seeking sugar and consolation for shockingly adult problems—which the girls soon dub the Broken Hearts Bakery.

Complicating matters is an unexpected reunion with Gemma’s high school sweetheart, Stephen, who is determined to change her mind about him, the town, and the nature of love itself. Because as it turns out, her niece isn’t the only one nursing a broken heart.


My Review

The story of Gemma's past trauma is alluded to in the prequel, and the town matriarch implies that the negative reactions of the townspeople began the decline of Haven Ridge. This is very much a second chance story- for both the town and the romantic relationship of Gemma and Stephen, with betrayal at the center of the heartbreak. Stephen has a lot of growing up to do- even as an adult, and comes to some important realizations about himself. Gemma is a pretty strong character, but has hidden vulnerabilities that are forced to the surface as she is immersed in the town and Stephen's life. There's plenty of angst to go around, but the themes of redemption and forgiveness brought a sense of hope. Some of the recollections from their teenage years had content that made me uncomfortable- underage behavior that is not healthy/moral but was not portrayed in a negative light. I had anticipated that the location of the bakery would play an important role in the book, but Gemma's home baking for friends and the school were the focus, and even that  seemed to be secondary to the main plot of her hot/cold relationship with Stephen. With the next novel's title having a bookshop, I hope that the town revitalization is more central to the story. 

Disclosure statement: A complimentary copy of this book was provided from a tour group, publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, OR borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR purchased. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.
 
Check out the new cover of the next book in the Haven Ridge series . . . 





Thursday, December 16, 2021

Discovered by Love series by Carla Laureano #CleanRomanceforXmas21 #Giveaway

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

Discovered by Love series
By Carla Laureano
Contemporary Romance
E-book
Jan 19, 2016 - Nov 15, 2021 by Laureano Creative Media

The Discovered by Love series features a delightful quartet of novellas about couples who weren’t looking for love… but it nevertheless finds them in unexpected ways! 
 
In JILTED, a would-be groom is ditched at the altar, leaving him with a private island and nothing to do—until he ropes the beautiful private chef into being his personal tour guide. Could he have been in the right place at the right time after all, just with the wrong woman? 
 
In STARSTRUCK, a best-selling author is living her lifelong fantasy of seeing her books made into a television series, until her ex-boyfriend is brought onboard to replace the injured male lead… and she has veto power. Can he convince her that he’s a changed man in time to save both his job and her dream? 
 
In SNOWBOUND, two rival architects with a shared history get snowed in at the site of their dream job and are forced to put aside their differences to make it through the weekend. Because as the temperature drops and their competition heats up, the only way out is together... with or without their hearts intact. 
 
In SUNSWEPT, a driven real estate agent and a laid-back beach bum get double-booked into the same vacation rental… then decide they just might be the answer to each other’s plus-one problems. But what happens when a fake relationship turns out to involve real feelings? 
 
The Discovered by Love novellas are the perfect holiday reads—long enough to deliver a satisfying, heart-warming romance, but short enough to offer a quick, one-sitting escape from your to-do lists.

(Affiliate links included.)

Guest Post
The Third Character: Why A Great Setting is Essential to Short Romance

By Carla Laureano

I’m a sucker for a romantic setting, whether it’s my favorite overseas spots or little-known corners of my own hometown. But where setting can be a nice surprise in a full-length book, it’s absolutely crucial in a novella!

Romance novellas are short and sweet, and they focus exclusively on the falling-in-love butterflies between the main couple, without much distraction from outside plot or secondary characters. Setting adds a necessary texture and interest to an otherwise straightforward story, and it can either act as a main feature in the couple’s burgeoning romance or as a source of conflict that threaten their happiness. So with that kind of importance in the story, why not make it a great one?

My Discovered by Love novella quartet does just that—it features some of the most beautiful settings in the world as a background for sweet, heart-warming romance.

In Jilted, a private island off the coast of Belize serves as both the catalyst and the backdrop for a whirlwind romance between a jilted groom, Derek, and the island’s private chef-turned-tour guide, Bethany. As they tour Mayan ruins, sample street food in charming mainland towns, and bask in the sunshine and turquoise waters, it’s hard to imagine not falling in love with an intriguing stranger!

Starstruck takes the excitement of London and the whimsy of a comic and fandom convention to bring a fantasy novelist back together with her estranged actor boyfriend when he’s subbed in as the romantic hero in a last-minute cast change for her TV adaptation. As the clock counts down toward the cast announcement and Nick scrambles to get Christine’s approval for the role of his lifetime, London Fan Fest is not just an entertaining background but a challenge to overcome.

For Snowbound, I stuck closer to home—my beloved Colorado—but set the story in the high country near the ritzy enclave of Vail. This time the setting is a straight-up source of conflict when two rival architects get snowed in at the site of the dream renovation and are forced to work through their differences to make it out in one piece! (Still, I’m not sure it’s a complete hardship, being stuck in front of a roaring fire in a multi-million-dollar ski lodge with your grad school crush…)

And last, Sunswept takes us back around to another sunny, tropical location, this time Islamorada, a village that stretches across six of Florida’s keys. When a tech entrepreneur reluctantly comes to Florida to witness his ex-girlfriend marry his college roommate and ends up double-booked in a beach house with a real estate agent there for a conference, they decide to turn an inconvenience into a solution to their plus-one problems. Which means that the lovely ocean-front cottage is both conflict and catalyst for their happily ever after!

Clearly, I’ve caught the travel bug hard with these novellas, and my biggest goal was to make readers fall in love with these beloved settings as much as the characters. Because the only thing better than falling in love is having a beautiful sunset to ride into together.

About the Author


Carla Laureano is the two-time RITA® award-winning author of over a dozen books, spanning the genres of contemporary romance and Celtic fantasy. A graduate of Pepperdine University, she worked in sales and marketing for more than a decade before leaving corporate life behind to write full-time. She currently lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband, two sons, and an opinionated tortoiseshell cat named Willow. Visit her website at carlalaureano.com to download the romance novella, JILTED, for free!


Tour Schedule
(Posts go live on the day they're scheduled.)

December 7th: Launch
December 8th: Nancy Campbell Allen - The Matchmaker's Lonely Heart
December 9th: Rachael Anderson - Five Kisses
December 10th: Sarah M. Eden - The Merchant and the Rogue
December 11th: Arlem Hawks - Georgana's Secret
December 12th: Jess Heileman - The Nabob's Daughter 
December 13th: Krista Jensen - Miracle Creek Christmas
December 14th: Jen Geigle Johnson - A Christmas Kiss
December 15th: Josi S. Kilpack - Love and Lavender
December 16th: Carla Laureano - Discovered by Love series
December 17th: Sarah L. McConkie - Meet Me Under the Kissing Bough
December 18th: Carol Ross - His Hometown Yuletide Vow
December 19th: Nichole Van - Brotherhood of the Black Tartan series
December 20th: Anneka R. Walker - Brides and Brothers
December 21st: Camron Wright - Christmas by Accident
December 22nd: Julie Wright - A Captain for Caroline Gray
December 23rd: Grand Finale
 
Tour Giveaway


One winner will receive a $75 (USD) Amazon E-Gift Card

Open internationally
Ends December 29, 2021


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Tuesday, February 11, 2020

Review: The Solid Grounds Coffee Company by Carla Laureano



My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

http://www.amazon.comhttp://www.amazon.comhttp://www.barnesandnoble.comhttp://www.bookdepository.comhttp://www.goodreads.com

Synopsis

Analyn Sanchez can handle the long hours and arrogant clients that come with her job as a crisis management associate at Denver's largest publicity firm. The high-powered job, expensive condo, and designer wardrobe are all part of her plan to prove to her family that her life choices haven't been in vain. But when she's asked to cover up a client's misdeeds with serious moral and legal ramifications, she can no longer sacrifice her conscience for her career . . . and the cost is no less than her job.

Ever since a devastating climbing accident in South America eight months ago, and a bad decision that dried up his sponsorships, professional rock climber Bryan Shaw has found himself at similar loose ends. When the opportunity to buy a coffee farm in Colombia arises, he jumps on it--only to discover his wandering ways have left him utterly unprepared to run a business.

When Bryan returns home and offers Ana a role in his company as a solution to both their problems, she's desperate enough to consider working with the far-too-flippant and far-too-handsome climber, even though he's the polar opposite of her type A nature. As they delve deeper into the business, however, she begins to suspect there's much more to Bryan than she's given him credit for . . . and that sometimes the best plans are the ones you never see coming.


My Review

I loved getting to know Ana and Bryan since they were both enigmatic in the previous books. I was impressed/intimidated by Ana's intense work ethic- with her list making, exercising, and productivity. I can in no way relate, but it was fascinating to see what made her tick. I was surprised by some of the secrets that were revealed about her throughout the book. It was wonderful to experience more of her friendship with Rachel and Melody, especially as they prepared for Rachel's wedding.

The book actually starts our from Bryan's perspective and experience climbing in Colombia, and I have to say I didn't much care for him, but that only allowed him to grow on me as I saw how he changed after he returns to Denver. It was interesting that the author chose not to show the time where he had his "come to Jesus" moments, and instead it was like the reader was seeing him and judging him the way his friends and family were in Denver- based on what they knew of him in the past, while getting an idea that his new choices are reflecting something different about him. I appreciated that as the book went on more layers were revealed about his true character and what led him to make the decisions he did in the past, as well as the influences that prompted such a drastic change in him.

I'm not a coffee drinker so the intricacies of the roasting of the beans was lost on me, but I liked  the camaraderie that built between Ana and Bryan as they worked together to build the company. The emotion in the book was focused more on the changes in Ana and Bryan's lives rather than on the romance, and I felt the chemistry was a little flat, but I really enjoyed getting to know the characters for themselves and seeing how letting go of the past gave them the freedom and peace they needed.

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)



Don't miss the previous books in the Supper Club series . . .

https://amzn.to/2uD0qpqhttps://amzn.to/2SEiLKG





Tuesday, February 5, 2019

Review: Brunch at Bittersweet Café by Carla Laureano


Heidi Reads... Brunch at Bittersweet Café by Carla Laureano

My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

http://www.amazon.comhttp://www.amazon.comhttp://www.barnesandnoble.comhttp://www.bookdepository.comhttp://www.goodreads.com

Synopsis

Baker and pastry chef Melody Johansson has always believed in finding the positive in every situation, but seven years after she moved to Denver, she can't deny that she's stuck in a rut. One relationship after another has ended in disaster, and her classical French training is being wasted on her night job in a mediocre chain bakery. Then the charming and handsome private pilot Justin Keller lands on the doorstep of her workplace in a snowstorm, and Melody feels like it's a sign that her luck is finally turning around.

Justin is intrigued by the lively bohemian baker, but the last thing he's looking for is a relationship. His own romantic failures have proven that the demands of his job are incompatible with meaningful connections, and he's already pledged his life savings to a new business venture across the country--an island air charter in Florida with his sister and brother-in-law.

Against their better judgment, Melody and Justin find themselves drawn together by their unconventional career choices and shared love of adventure. But when an unexpected windfall provides Melody with the chance to open her dream bakery-café in Denver with her best friend, chef Rachel Bishop, she's faced with an impossible choice: stay and put down roots with the people and place she's come to call home . . . or give it all up for the man she loves.


My Review

There are several elements in this book that make it stand out. The romance is always my favorite of course, but I also appreciated the focus on all types of relationship dynamics- family, friends, and co-workers. Melody's semi-estranged mother, her two well-meaning best friends, and Justin's sister and her husband all play important roles in the story. It was interesting to see the details involved in the food industry, and all the creativity and planning it takes to open a new restaurant. The descriptions of the food and desserts are divine, and almost convinces me that I need to become a foodie ;) I really enjoyed the chemistry between Melody and Justin, especially the adventure they go on in the mountains, but throughout the book their relationship is overshadowed by the temporary nature of their time together and each of their self-doubts in romance. There is a strong theme of God's influence in our lives and Melody and Justin both have their faith challenged with the situations they find themselves in. I assumed that there would be a happy ending, but Melody and Justin both go through so much on their way there that at times I was nervous that the book wouldn't end the way I hoped! Recommend to fans of contemporary romance and Christian fiction.

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)

Don't miss the first book in the Supper Club series . . .

Heidi Reads... the Saturday Night Supper Club by Carla Laureano


http://www.amazon.comhttp://www.amazon.comhttp://www.barnesandnoble.comhttp://www.bookdepository.comhttp://www.goodreads.com

Synopsis

Denver chef Rachel Bishop has accomplished everything she’s dreamed and some things she never dared hope, like winning a James Beard award and heading up her own fine-dining restaurant. But when a targeted smear campaign causes her to be pushed out of the business by her partners, she vows to do whatever it takes to get her life back … even if that means joining forces with the man who inadvertently set the disaster in motion.

Essayist Alex Kanin never imagined his pointed editorial would go viral. Ironically, his attempt to highlight the pitfalls of online criticism has the opposite effect: it revives his own flagging career by destroying that of a perfect stranger. Plagued by guilt-fueled writer’s block, Alex vows to do whatever he can to repair the damage. He just doesn’t expect his interest in the beautiful chef to turn personal.

Alex agrees to help rebuild Rachel’s tarnished image by offering his connections and his home to host an exclusive pop-up dinner party targeted to Denver’s most influential citizens: the Saturday Night Supper Club. As they work together to make the project a success, Rachel begins to realize Alex is not the unfeeling opportunist she once thought he was, and that perhaps there’s life--and love--outside the pressure-cooker of her chosen career. But can she give up her lifelong goals without losing her identity as well?