Rambling, Book Beginnings & Friday 56 - Kitty French's Melody Bittersweet and the Girls' Ghostbusting Agency

Book Beginning & 56% Quote from Melody Bittersweet and the Girls' Ghostbusting Agency by Kitty French to be released by Bookouture on 14 July 2016. As always, Friday 56 (share from the 56th page or 56% mark) is hosted at Freda's Voice & Book Beginnings (share the first few sentences) is at Rose City Reader. e-ARC received from NetGalley & Bookouture. Rambley thoughts don't care that the book was free.

*************Rambley Stuff*************

I have to admit that I got a bit giddy when I saw this on NetGalley (well, first on Twitter to say it was on NetGalley) because omigosh that COVER! How freaking fun is THAT? Then, as per my norm, I did some Amazon-ing about Kitty French to see what else she may have written.

Erotica.

Uh-oh.

If you've been around me for any significant length of time you'll know that I don't do steamy sexy stuff well. (Not written, anyway.) I didn't want to request a book because of its awesomesauce cover only to end up skimming it between my fingers as they mostly covered my eyes hoping for something positive and non-erotic to gently jump out at me.

After I was finished hyperventilating, I saw that Kitty French is also Kat French so Amazon-ed some more and felt a bit more optimistic since Kat writes romantic comedy/chick lits and has been compared to some authors I have come to adore.

So I hit the request button.

From the beginning I laughed so hard that I had to stop drinking my coffee for fear of spurting it all over my desk.

'He's not mum's date, her's mine. Or else, he was,' I mutter, and then I'm distracted as a beer-bellied pensioner in a soup-stained shirt slowly materialises through the ceiling, his flannel trousers not quite meeting his bony ankles. Stay with me; I see dead people, remember? As do my mother and grandmother, who also watch him descend with matching expressions of distaste. (3%)

Yep, Melody Bittersweet can see and converse with ghosts. Her mother and grandmother are focused on connecting the living and the dead. Melody, much to her mother's dismay, wants to help them move on. They constantly put a cramp on her social life and any attempt she makes at getting a non-ghost-related job. When she turns 27 she decides to do something worthwhile with her life and starts her own ghostbusting business with her best friend, Marina. They also take on the tall and timid Artie as a "trainee" as a favor to his father -- who happens to be dead. Oh, and we mustn't forget Babs -- 1973 Ford Transit.

The Bittersweets aren't the only act in town. Leo Dark, Melody's ex-boyfriend, is a bit of a celebrity ghost whisperer and when Melody and Marina see him on the television at the site of his latest case they decide (with the help of Melody's Magic 8 Ball) to try and nab the job for themselves.

Leo doesn't answer straight away. He's too busy rearranging his features through a speedy cycle of 'hello ex-girlfriend who I dumped acrimoniously, oh shit you've got your vicious sidekick with you,' and 'don't come a step closer, this job has Leo Dark stamped all over it.' (14%)

Needless to say, Leo isn't thrilled when the owner of Scarborough House gives Melody a key to the house and declares that whichever one solves his ghost problem first will be the one who gets paid. On their first official visit to the house Melody encounters the ghosts in residence -- the elderly Isaac and Lloyd, and the young and handsome (and flirtatious) Douglas.

Have I mentioned yet that I have a super huge weakness for hunky ghosts? I blame it on watching movies like The Ghost & Mrs Muir and Topper almost religiously when I was young. Only thing better than a hunky ghost would probably be a hunky pirate ghost. You must know by now how I feel about pirates.

Anyway, the three brothers are cantankerous and hilarious and have been stuck in the house together for 45 years. There's a little question as to which of them actually killed Douglas way back in 1910 and, apparently, none of them are going anywhere until the case is solved.

Of course it won't be so easy as to just get one of them to fess up and *poof* they go. Don't forget there's also Leo butting around and local hot-shot reporter/supernatural-skeptic Fletcher Gunn is determined to prove that it's all just "a load of hokum bollocks."

I failed to mention that Leo and Fletch are also gorgeous and, of course, since Melody supposedly hates both of them you probably know where this is going:

Fasten your seatbelts, kids!
It's a ghostbusting murder mystery love triangle (oh wait -- Douglas. So a love square? rhombus?) romcom!

I'm ridiculously glad that I hit that request button. Along with the whole ghostbusting murder mystery love polygon romcom-ness, we also get Melody's obsession with sweets and superheros, plenty of references to Ghostbusters and Scooby Doo and other nerd-tastic delights, and the oh-so-amazeballs Grandma Dicey (who's still boinking Grandpa Duke even though he died 20 years ago). I seriously can't remember the last time I laughed this hard. The team even ends up getting a dog along the way -- Lestat, the one-eared pug from above. He's absofreakinglutely hilarious in his own right and, possibly, a little bit evil.

I bought new slippers yesterday, fancy knitted boots with fur inside, and I like them enough to sleep with them under my pillow. He knows it, of course. You don’t get to be a mafia boss without knowing everything that’s going down in your manor, and at 6.05 a.m. I feel one of the boots start to slowly slide out from beneath my head. It’s enough. It’s a direct threat. Get up, or the slipper’s history. I open my eyes and there he is, eyeballing me with the pompom of the boot locked firmly between his jaws.

I bare my teeth and growl at him, but he just sits there. I think he’s counting down in his head.(63%)

Now, it's not all a big huge laugh-fest. There are some incredibly emotional moments that had me reaching for my always-present tissue box. Having it not be non-stop hilarity or non-stop heartbreaking made it all that much better. A girl can take only just so much laughter and/or tears, after all. In fact, there really isn't anything I've found to complain about. Well, perhaps a lack of actual pirates (even/especially in ghost form) but it is the first in the series so maybe I'll luck out down the line.

Rambling About.. Milkshakes & Heartbreaks at the Starlight Diner by Helen Cox

Title: Milkshakes & Heartbreaks at the Starlight Diner Author: Helen Cox Publication: 4 July 2016 - HarperCollinsUK/Avon/Maze First Lines (Prologue): First Lines (Chapter 1):

Faves on 4s:
4% - Though she was only three years my senior, Mona had a way of standing that made me feel like she was my mother. A hand on her hip and a slouch in one leg.
34% - 'What are you afraid of? Whatever it is, you can tell me.' I shook my head. There was a weighty pause. 'Why are you afraid of happiness?'
54% - Turns out my determination to repel men for the last two years hadn't led to the best shopping choices.
84% - 'Esther, I'm going to say something and you're probably not going to like it.'
           Yep, there it was.
94% - 'I stand by my previous assessment,' I said. 'You are a bloody idiot.'

Ramble: The "Faves on 4s" section was harder this time than most as every time a _4% rolled around I found something that was just oh-so-perfect to share! As it is, it was my main reason for reading the Kindle version I received from NetGalley instead of the epub. My epub reader does pages and not percents and that would have just been way harder to dwindle down to just a handful.

I'm guessing that you've already figured out that I quite love this book. I want to pull up to the counter and order a milkshake. I want to play The Chordettes on the jukebox repeatedly (I have a remix of "Lollipop" as the ringtone on my phone, in fact). I want to help Walt with his crosswords and have Lu whip me up some pancakes and sausage. I want Mona to give me the maternal looks and advice. I want The Starlight Diner to be real.

Esther is a waitress at The Starlight Diner, having arrived in the States just over a year ago. She's from London but left in hopes of being able to pretty much disappear and escape her past. Not being able to let go of her past, though, keeps her from fully embracing her present and possible future. This is all fine and dandy with her until Jack enters the diner and her life. He's also from London and also has things he seems to want to keep hidden. Will they be able to be honest and open with each other and move on together?

It's a rough and rocky road. Jack is an actor with a hot new movie out and another in the works. This, of course, makes him perfect fodder for sleazy "journalists" who love to uncover dirt on the popular -- and on anyone close to them. It's a heartbreaking mess and you end up wanting to drown your sorrows (well, Esther's sorrows) in the biggest milkshake you can find.

Hmmmm....  I guess that's where the title comes in to play, huh?

Although this falls under the whole "Chick Lit" genre where everyone who deserves one gets a happy ending, I still wondered over and over again whether this would be the case for Esther and Jack. And, with so many secrets, was a happy ending even deserved?

How it all plays out is truly magnificent to behold. I know I say that about an awful lot of books but, what can I say? I have remarkably good taste.

Helen Cox is a gem and I'm thrilled that Milkshakes & Heartbreaks is the first in a series. I'm so excited about seeing what comes next and, luckily, I'll have Starlight Diner shorts to get me through the wait! I'm even hoping to be able to get my hands on her non-fiction works (besides her blog -- which is amazing). After all, anyone who loves Grease 2 and can make me cry and snort-laugh in the same minute has to be all around spectacular, right?

Milkshakes & Heartbreaks at the Starlight Diner is being released on the 4th of July and I'd love to hear how much you love it and what you're hoping to have happen next after you get it.  You can find me at The Starlight Diner enjoying my milkshake (at least on Twitter).

Teaser Tuesday - Milkshakes & Heartbreaks at the Starlight Diner by Helen Cox

Of course, there's a lot more to her story than that and I'm having a great time finding out what it is!

Amazon Description

A witty, romantic, New York-inspired novel.

‘With its shades of light and dark, this delicious debut is a page-turner you’d be mad to miss’ SAMANTHA TONGE

Esther Knight is sharp, sarcastic – and hiding something. She waitresses at The Starlight Diner: a retro eatery where Fifties tunes stream out of the jukebox long into the night, and the tastiest milkshakes in New York are served.

Nobody at the diner knows why Esther left London for America – or why she repeatedly resists the charms of their newest regular, actor Jack Faber.

Esther is desperate to start a new life in the land of the free, but despite the warm welcome from the close-knit diner crowd, something from her past is holding her back. Can she ever learn to love and live again?

Milkshakes and Heartbreaks at the Starlight Diner is a witty, romantic, New York-inspired novel.

Rambling About.. Adara Flynn Quick's The Dream Protocol

Whenever I get an email from NetGalley recommending a book, I typically ignore it unless I'm already aware of the author or have had good luck with the publishing house. Adara Flynn Quick's The Dream Protocol was self-published in April and I'd never heard of her before the email (though we do share a last name and I now happily follow her on Twitter). Normally I'd "eh" and delete.

But just LOOK at that cover!!!
After snooping around Goodreads for it, though, I decided the book had a few other things going for it besides the gorgeous cover:

• the aforementioned last name and my lack of a Q so far on my A to Z Author list 
• the recommendation from another reviewer to read it with an Irish accent 
• 154 pages doesn't take very long to read most days 
• the description (particularly the first two lines of it)

"WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T GET OLD.
In fiery young Deirdre Callaghan's home of Skellig City, no one has dreamt their own dream in over a thousand years."

Wait. What?!? How could that even be?

"Dreams are produced by the Dream Makers and sold by the Ministry, the tyrannical rulers of the city. In Skellig City, years of life are awarded equally and the ruined are cast away beneath the city on their 35th birthday."

Well, balls. I turned 40 in December. Definitely glad I wasn't living in Skellig City!

"Unbeknownst to the Ministry, Deirdre's handsome friend Flynn Brennan is afflicted with a terrible disease - a disease that accelerates the aging process. Knowing his fate if the Ministry should ever discover his illness, Flynn has lived his whole life hiding from their watchful eyes. When Flynn's secret is finally discovered, Deirdre is determined to free him from the Ministry's grasp. But to save him, she will have to reveal herself to a shadowy enemy...one that none of them even knew existed."

I don't typically do dystopian but I was intrigued and 154 pages could get knocked out in a work shift while folding laundry and ignoring spreadsheets. I hit the "Read Now" button.

The book opens in the year 3077 and 15 year old Deirdre is questioning everything. Her close friend and mother-figure, Maeve, has turned 35 and is sent to whatever lies beneath the city (which, by the way, is already underground). Her actual mother is nearing 35 and, even though she's a Dream Maker, will soon be met with the same fate. Everyone will.

Do as your told and everything will be fine.

That always works with 15 year olds, doesn't it?

She and Flynn desperately want to escape along with their friend Antrim and go above ground where the sky is supposedly blue and the grass is real and green. Of course, before they can do that Deirdre has to save Flynn from the Medical Director. He's threatening to find out all about Flynn and why he looks like he's already one of the "ruined" and have him scheduled for an early descent to the under-underworld.

She gets help from unexpected people and faces unexpected complications in unexpected places. And then, before you know it, it's over ... until the next book in the series! Hopefully the wait won't be a long one.

Rambling About.. What Happens At The Beach... by T A Williams

Title: What Happens At The Beach...
Author: T A Williams
Publication: 11 July 2016 -- CarinaUK/Harper Collins
Amazon Description:

For the perfect summer romance…

It’s finally time for Natalie Dryden to decide what she really wants! After ditching her sparkling engagement ring, and her ghastly fiancé, she jets off for the sun-kissed shores of Southern France – the only place that has ever truly felt like home. For the first time ever, Natalie is determined to forget all about men and follow her dreams!

…head to the French coast!

Only, avoiding the male population isn’t quite so easy, especially when she meets smooth-talking Philippe and gorgeous fisherman, Remy! But then Natalie, quite literally, bumps into brooding millionaire Mark whilst swimming in the glittering azure-blue bay – and her life is turned upside-down.

Love might be off the cards for Natalie, yet suddenly she finds herself in her dream job and working with her dream man! But is it all too good to be true…?

First Lines (Prologue): 

First Lines (Chapter 1): 
David's parents' house was one of the most opulent in what was a very opulent part of south-west London. Today the gravel drive in front of the house was choked with smart, expensive cars and the Union Jack hung proudly, if limply, from the flagpole.

Faves on 4s: (epub format -- 243 pages total)
p14 - 'Well, she is quite pretty.' Marjorie even managed to make a  compliment sound like an insult. 'It's just that she's so...' She paused for though. 'So unkempt.'
p44 - Yes, it really was a wonderful place and she determined not to let other matters, particularly men, get in the way of her enjoyment of this well-earned holiday.
p104 - All right, you cow, Natalie thought to herself, I'm going to be so bloody sweet and nice to you tonight, you'll choke on your food.
p164 - 'Now, take a deep breath and look around you. You're sitting in a little bit of paradise and we're very, very lucky people. You need to remind yourself of that.'
p204 - She and Amy, after a trip to the local pub for pie and chips and a few pints of lager, had sat up talking until three in the morning and Natalie had overslept her alarm. As they talked, Amy's awestruck expression had lingered as she listened to Natalie recount the vagaries of her summer in France.

Ramble:
I read my first Williams book, What Happens In The Alps..., back in March and found it to be so delightful that as soon as I saw his newest was available on NetGalley I just had to get it. Once again my 20 (or so) Books of Summer list had to be tweaked (especially since I picked up three other books at the same time), but it was definitely worth it. I may have to bump some more of the Xanth off the list or greatly diminish my planned Christmas in July to only a couple of books, but it's a small sacrifice because What Happens At The Beach... was even more delightful!

Natalie Dryden is 30 years old and recently finished her PhD in Medieval History. After a severe falling out with her fiancé that results in her returning her engagement ring, she heads to her grandmother's place in Southern France to job hunt and focus on her future. She does, of course, fall in love at first sight ... with a dog who frequently visits her grandmother and happens to have a very rich and very handsome owner. Even better is that said owner just happens to be looking for help writing a novel set in the exact time period that Natalie's thesis was about.

Yeah, you can probably see where this is all going from a kilometer away.

In spite of the predictability of a lot of it, this book was exactly what I needed. With all of the angst going on at work and the end of the school year for my son and the Democratic sit-in over gun control and the whole referendum fiasco over the pond, I needed a light escape that didn't make me go through multiple boxes of tissues. (There were a few tears that welled up, but I wasn't turned into a complete wreck.)

What Happens At The Beach... is being released in two weeks, on July 11th. If you're looking for a quick and light read that's perfect for the beach (or recliner ... or bus ... or ...), I highly recommend picking this one up!