Friday, May 24, 2013

BLOG TOUR: Then Again by Karen Stivali

Sometimes you have to lose it all to find what you really need.

Photographer Kay Turner is dealt a double whammy when she flies home for her grandmother’s funeral to find her boyfriend with another woman. Now with two losses to mourn, she retreats to her newly inherited beach house to clear her head.

Everything at the beach is familiar: the sounds of the ocean, the scent of her grandmother’s perfume—and the irresistible smile of James Margolis. The man Kay spent her adolescence pining for is every bit as charming as she remembers.

James always thought of Kay as “a nice kid”, but he feels something very different for the woman she’s become. Especially when he asks if she’d be willing to part with some of her grandmother’s recipes for his new restaurant—and they wind up sharing much more than culinary secrets.

But as their relationship deepens, Kay finds herself caught between the demands of her dream career as a travel photographer, and a chance for happiness with the one man she’s wanted for a lifetime.

Warning: This foodie romance contains sensual scone baking, a heroine who discovers one bad apple hasn’t spoiled her appetite, and a delicious hero you can’t help but crave. Blend well, serve hot.

Life can seem like everything is ok. But doesn't it always seem to  be that when it rains it pours. Kay Turner is on assignment as a photojournalist in Greece when she gets the call that her grandma has died. The same woman who loved her and raised her, when her mother wanted nothing to do with her. So when she comes home and opens the door, hoping for a little sympathy from her boyfriend of three years, Todd, she is hit with a surprise. Not Todd, but a long and leggy blonde wearing Todd's button down shirt waiting on him to return with some wine. As Todd returns to find Kay standing staring at the girl, he tries to blame it all on Kay and her constant state of travel. So Kay grabs what she can and heads home to the shore. 

Being home is suppose to be comforting but with grandma gone, Kay feels lost. She has inherited the house and all the belongings and doesn't really know what her next step is going to be. That is until she runs into an old crush. James Margolis. Yes, that James Margolis. The Adonis of the shore, whom Kay has had a crush on since she was 10. James is 6 years older than her and she always knew he was out of reach. But was he really? James invites Kay to dinner and things start to take off between the two of them. Can the love that both of them suppressed for years be able to overcome their own fears.

This was a quick read for me, although it is a sizable book. I was sucked in and just could not put the book down. James is likable and sweet and just the perfect guy. Kay is fun and sexy and down to earth, making her the heroine that you root for. I give this a 4.5 star rating. I would really love to hear more about James and Kay and see where their relationship goes from here. They were both enduring and I just loved this book!



Karen Stivali is a prolific writer, compulsive baker and chocoholic with a penchant for books, movies and fictional British men. When she's not writing, she can be found cooking extravagant meals and serving them to family and friends, who never seem to mind the excessive quantities she tends to prepare. She attributes her ability to multitask to the fact that she rarely sleeps, which gives her more hours every day. Prior to deciding to write full time Karen worked as a hand drawn animator, a clinical therapist, and held various food-related jobs ranging from waitress to specialty cake maker. Planning elaborate parties and fundraisers takes up what's left of her time and sanity.

Karen has always been fascinated by the way people relate to one another so she favors books and movies that feature richly detailed characters and their relationships. In her own writing she likes to explore the dynamics between characters and has a tendency to craft romantic tales filled with sarcasm and sexy details. Although she writes in three genres (erotic romance, contemporary romance and women's fiction) all of her stories are love stories with happily ever after endings.

Karen has published several erotic romance novels with Ellora's Cave including two award winning stories: Always You (published September 2011, First Place Winner of the RWA Passionate Plume Award - 2012)and Marry Me (published June 2012, First Place Winner in the NEC-RWA Bean Pot Reader's Choice Award - 2013).

Her works of women's fiction, Meant To Be, and its sequel, Holding On, (published by Turquoise Morning Press in August and November 2012, respectively) both made multiple  Best of 2012 lists and are rated as true gems and recommended reads.

Karen's latest release, Then, Again is a contemporary foodie romance published by Samhain Publishing.

To learn more about Karen  and all her upcoming books you can visit her website karenstivali.com where she blogs original recipes, sassy commentary on The Bachelor, and tidbits about her journey in the writing world. Karen can also be found attempting witty banter on Twitter  http://twitter.com/karenstivali










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