Liz Fenton

Whoever came up with the Father of the Bride/Bride Wars description for Forever Hold Your Peace absolutely nailed it. I admit I didn't read the blurb much further than that before requesting my review copy so the rest was all a surprise to me.

Olivia and Zach meet and fall in love while on holiday in Italy. Wasting no time, they're engaged before they head back to the States and their families who are a little less enthusiastic about the surprising news than the happy couple bargained for show more initially. Still, the families soldier on and set up brunch (nothing good happens at brunch) only to realize most of the parents have already met. Chaos ensues when we find out that Zach's father (Troy) was engaged to Olivia's mother (June) prior to a drunken hookup with June's best friend (Amy). The relationships never fully recovered, including Amy/Troy, and now both sets of parents are divorced and all bets are off.

We spend a small amount of time with Olivia, but most of our time is spent back and forth between Amy and June and I suspect your enjoyment of the book will rely heavily on how much you like/feel for them. Fenton and Steinke do a great job of balancing the storyline and just when things seem like someone really should be saying something, they do! There's some general cringe worthy moments when Olivia or Zach do/say something that feels like it's going to immediately be dated but mostly this lives up to the promise of a Father of the Bride/Bride War vibe.

My only real issue here is Troy. I think I'm supposed to feel bad for him that he's spent the last however long missing June and regretting his actions but he never actually seems to fully grasp how badly he fucked up, only that it cost him something/someone he wanted. He's directly at fault for another bit of fuckery later in the book and STILL doesn't seem to get what he's done wrong and yet he's later rewarded for his actions. Amy and June both seem torn up about their parts in the mess but Troy's regret never really seems to fully come through and I spent the whole book waiting for everyone to just admit he's the weak link and maybe not leave him behind (he is Zach's father) but just... realize he's not worth the hassle?

My other problem is that in reality, drunken hookups not fueled by anything other than crossed wires (wanting to comfort someone) and massive amounts of alcohol are probably far more likely than media has taught me, but in fiction I need MORE. I need a better underlying reason for why Amy would stab her best friend in the back and then seem to think best friend would be understanding about it. It never makes sense and fiction requires that more than reality. As it is, I don't feel bad for younger!Amy showing up at June's door with baby Zach in tow and then not making it past the door. Ma'am, the fuck is wrong with you? Oof.

I did find it very interesting that of the trio, June is NOT the one to stop trusting people even though she was the odd one out once her best friend and fiancé hooked up behind her back. Basically everyone deserved better than Troy and I spent the whole book hating his "redemption arc" because no, this cliched POS didn't deserve it and yes, apparently I have strong feelings about it. show less

I went into The Naysayers expecting a fun, quirky rom-com, but it ended up sneaking up on me in the best way. The whole idea of negativity being a literal industry is clever, funny and thought provoking, but what really stuck with me was how uncomfortably relatable it all felt. Watching the Naysayers whisper doubts into other people’s minds made me way more aware of how often I do the same thing to myself.

The romance is sweet and banter-filled, but it’s the emotional shift, when empathy show more starts to crack the system, that gives the story its heart. I found myself pausing more than once to question which of my own thoughts are actually mine and which are just the figurative well-trained naysayers inside my own head. Light, sharp, and surprisingly thoughtful, this book made me feel a lot of feels and forced me to quietly reconsider my inner voice. A must read/listen especially as we enter a new year with resolutions and promises we make to ourselves to do and be better! show less

The old story of a truly unlikable human being (often a lawyer, as here) and how a single choice can change your life taken to another level with a delightful twist. It seems that Lila Bennett has made one bad choice too many and now her life is split in two, literally. Lila thinks she is finally making a good choice, the right choice. But is it really? And if it is, is it too late? Has she been as clever and successful about keeping her secrets as she thinks she has? Suddenly there is Free show more Lila and Captured Lila.

This was a fascinating read that kept me turning pages as fast as I could. I couldn’t begin to imagine what was really happening to Lila – was she in a coma, a fugue state, the victim of an elaborate hoax? Was she aware, even in her subconscious, of her free and captured states?

I don’t want to say too much because I don’t want to spoil the story for the next reader. Lila is truly despicable. While you root for her as a human being, you also want to make her pay for the selfish, deceitful, uncaring way she seems to have lived her entire life. The chapters switch back and forth from “Free” to “Captured” in such a smooth way that you become totally engrossed in each. Even though you’ll be scratching your head trying to figure out what is going on, and the ending will likely surprise you, everything seems totally believable.

A great book that I heartily recommend, as I do everything else that authors Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke have written. Thanks to Goodreads for providing a copy in exchange for my honest review. show less

Three women take a vacation to Mexico in an attempt to mend their relationship. The problems between Ashley, Natalie and Lauren are complicated. Lauren blames Ashley for the death of her husband. Natalie wants Ashley to agree to sell the corporation they built together. And Ashley wants to keep control of her life, her business...and her secrets. But she also wants her two best friends back. The trip takes a strange tangent when Ashley becomes obsessed with a local man. Marco talks about show more native rituals, ceremonies and magic.....a way to bring peace back to life. And Ashley just loses focus. When she disappears, things careen out of control for Natalie and Lauren. Natalie can't remember what happened that last night, and Lauren regrets things she said and did. What happened to Ashley? And will their lives ever be the same?

Wow....this book was suspenseful, disturbing and awesome. It kept me guessing until the very end. Just as I thought I knew what happened....the story would take a twist and leave me wondering again. What a bunch of F'd up people. But aren't we all just a little F'd up? Not to this extreme I hope....but we all have secrets, regrets, friendships we screwed up, mistakes made, lessons learned. These three women want to re-forge their friendship, but sometimes it's difficult to rebuild burnt bridges or get past insurmountable personality differences. None of them are totally honest with any of the others. And that sort of fake, yet emotionally binding, friendship has a cost. It's a toxic mix. Each one is selfish in their own way, wanting the friendships to last for their own gratification not for any bond or caring for any of the others. I disliked, yet sympathized, with each of them. Ashley is clueless about her controlling and manipulative behavior. Natalie is weak-willed and lets others take control, then resents it. Lauren blames others for the crap in her life, rather than admitting the fault is her own. They are all whiny, immature, manipulative bitches......yet very very human. Just like all of us. Ultimately, they all pay a price for their mistakes.

This book sucked me right in. I couldn't stop reading. I stayed up way too late because I had to know what happened! Definitely a binge reading event! Loved it! The characters frustrated the piss out of me....but I couldn't stop wondering what the hell was going to happen to them. Perfect. Love-hate relationship with the story. It definitely kept me reading! Like a soap opera keeps you watching, even though you want to look away.

This is the first book I have read by these authors. I'm definitely reading more! Great book!

**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Lake Union Publishing via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.** show less