Review: One Paris Summer by Denise Grover Swank

by Elisa Hordon

I really love a gripping intense read from start to finish and that is exactly what I got with Denise Grover Swank's One Paris Summer.

One Paris Summer is a YA Romantic Drama, full of young love, teen angst and so many emotions bouncing off everyone it really is a wonder the characters didn't self-combust ...lol

Sophie is 16 years old and on her way to spend the summer in Paris, France. Sophie is still reeling from the roller coaster her life became a year ago when her father walked out and moved to Paris for work, leaving Sophie and her older brother Eric behind. Sophie is also reeling from being forced now to go to Paris not only to spend the summer with the father who abandoned her but to watch him get married to a woman they have never met and meet her new step sister, Sophie had a feeling Paris was going to be way more than she was bargaining for.

Sophie is also gifted pianist, and, yes, these parts of the story were described so well I could actually here Sophie play while I was reading, I also loved the way Denise described Paris. It really felt like you were right there the whole time. When Sophie is offered an audition at a very exclusive French music school can she convince her father to let her audition? Sophie is not even sure she will get in but just going to the audition would be an honour. Eric and Mathias are both encouraging Sophie but her father is not convinced and Sophie wonders if he doesn't want her in Paris now he has a new family.

Oh the teen angst of it all....lol Too many emotions, missed communications or no communicating at all and parents who should know better than to keep secrets from their kids, this just all adds to the great drama in this story.

Mathias, cute, French and totally besotted with Sophie from the moment he lays eyes on her. Mathias is, well he is harder to explain than I thought...lol I found Mathias to be different to the majority of teenage boys, he has made mistakes but he is responsible enough to own up to it and face what life throws at him. He doesn't make excuses for others and he is loyal to those he cares for even if they don't deserve it. Mathias also has his faults which he pushes onto others at times - his unwillingness to fully trust someone he claims to love and when he just believes what he thinks he sees instead of finding the truth and listening to his love and his heart he then loses both through no one else fault but his own stubbornness.

Camille, the wicked step-sister, and, omg, is she wicked, cruel and so many other horrible adjectives. I would be here all day if I used them all so let's just finish with Camille is the worst type of bully and even though her father died and she has been on a downward spiral ever since enough is enough everything she put Sophie through is just wrong and when everyone keeps letting her get away with it, well that just makes me sick.

Eric, Sophie's older brother and protector. I really loved Eric even when he was playing big bad brother...lol he loves his sister and no one is going to hurt her on his watch and that even means their own father. Eric is struggling with his parents' separation and divorce just as badly as Sophie. He just hides his emotions better, yeah I know that's a guy thing...lol. Eric is sweet. I really love how he looks out for Sophie. I also love how he realised Dane was an ass so quickly and he had Camille pegged as well. Eric always has Sophie’s back whether she wants him to or not ...lol what are big brothers for? I would love to read Eric's story one day.

Dane, Eric's friend from school who comes to spend part of the summer in Paris with Eric. Sophie has had a crush on Dane forever but she quickly discovers his true nature when he hooks up with Camille and his true colours shine through over the weeks in Paris as Dane follows Camille's every wish to make Sophie's life a misery. For me, Dane is a spineless douche bag who will do anything to impress a pretty face but he has no idea how to handle a real woman with substance. I just wish when he got back home that his life didn't just go back to him being Mr. Popularity at school. There should have been more of a life lesson for him after everything he did.

The whole story was brilliantly written; it flowed well from beginning to end and it also finished really well. I love how the characters grew and changed at different times throughout the story and I especially loved that Sophie blossomed the most and showed her inner strength when she needed to the most. I am dying for French pastries after how many times Sophie and Mathias had breakfast together throughout the book….lol I am also encouraged to plan a trip to Paris after reading this book so I can visit all the places Sophie did in the book.

This really was a great story, with wonderful characters and some really horrible characters...lol but even the horrible characters were written well and fitted within the story perfectly. One Paris Summer would not have been the same without them and I will never forget Sophie and Mathias, their story shone through.

Buy One Paris Summer at Amazon

Elisa Hordon, reviewer. Elisa lives on the Southern Highlands of NSW, Australia were she spends her days reading, journaling, painting, cooking and home schooling her daughter. She has always been an avid reader, Elisa loves reading many genres of books except horror; her favourite genres would be mystery, romance and paranormal. Elisa also loves pursuing many creative outlets if she is not relaxing with a book she can be found writing, sketching, painting or cooking. Elisa loves to share her obsession with books especially with her family and friends. Reading and reviewing books is a favourite pastime of Elisa’s.

Book info
available formats: ebook and print (352 pages)
published: June 2016 by Blink
ISBN13: 978-0310755166
genres: drama. family life
target audience: young adult
source: a free ebook provided by the author




Get even more book news in your inbox by signing up for our newsletter: http://eepurl.com/mHTVL. A free ebook was provided by the author for this review. Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small commission is earned when purchases are made at Amazon using any Amazon links on this site. Thank you for supporting Girl Who Reads.

Review: Center Stage by Denise Grover Swank #TuesdayBookBlog

review by Elisa Hordon

I stepped onto my mother’s front porch for the first time in ten years. Typical of my mother, not much had changed. Same red brick with white trim. Same black, steel-reinforced front door. Same silver knocker, the word STEELE etched into it in bold capital letters.
“Get it?” my dad used to ask when I was a little girl. “The door is made of steel, and our last name is Steele.”
I worshiped my father, so I always laughed even though I didn’t get it. I would have done anything to please him.
Until he disappeared.

Would you keep reading?




My Thoughts
Magnolia Steele was born to be a star, or so everyone always told her. Maggie was made for theatre with a voice that could make everyone smile and a face that lights up the stage. So what went wrong on opening night?

Ok so maybe living with the director while he was sleeping with her understudy might not have been the wisest move but then again Maggie didn't know he was cheating on her. Embarrassing herself on stage and becoming an overnight sensation on You Tube when her wardrobe malfunctioned is how Maggie found herself at her Mother's front door: 10 years after Maggie ran away to New York, 10 years after that horrible night she still cannot remember, 10 years after she said she would never come home.

'You're made of steel Magnolia'.

I hope Magnolia always remembers her mother’s words. I have a feeling she is going to need all of her inner and physical strength to solve this mystery and not land herself in jail for murder.

What a busy first couple of days back home! Maggie meets Colt, a gorgeous guy who works for her mum's catering company, he is also an aspiring country singer/songwriter and he wants to be Maggie's friend. Then she bumps into Tanner, her high school boyfriend whom she argued with that fateful night and she never explained why she ran away. Now Tanner wants answers. Then she meets Luke a country singer who is tied up in not 1 but 2 murders. They both took place at his home. Did Luke murder 2 people and is he the one trying to frame Magnolia? Finally, there is Brady a local police officer who clicks with Maggie instantly but is it a good idea for Maggie to get involved with a cop?

It sounds like it's raining gorgeous hot guys in Tennessee and Magnolia needs more guys in her life like a hole in her head especially after the scum bag director she left behind in New York. And then there is her charming brother Roy who is not happy to see Maggie is back in their home town at all.

And seriously if Maggie's life isn't confusing enough with the guys, just try sorting out the girls. Start with Maggie's mum Lila: she is such a card and loves to run her mouth without knowing the facts which is what led Maggie to take off 10 yrs ago. Then we have Lila's best friend Tilly; she is Lila's support but she wants to be there for Maggie too so she is in a sticky spot...lol. Then we have Maggie's sister-in-law Belinda who is a force to be reckoned. Underneath that sweet smile is a tornado just waiting to be unleash. We then move on to Emily, Maggie's high school nemesis who basically took over Maggie's life when she left town but I'm thinking she actually did that to stay close to everyone in Maggie's life because she wants to solve the mystery of what happened the night before Maggie took off. And finally, we come to Maddie, Maggie's best friend from childhood who never gave Maggie the chance to explain after she left. She just played the heart broken card, took everyone’s sympathy, and moved on with her life. Honestly, if she was a true friend she would have tracked Maggie down and demanded answers and now she gets to play the injured party. I'm not sure I like Maddie at all.

So much drama wrapped up in one book; it truly was an amazing read. Denise Grover Swank knows how to write drama, with gripping mystery and wrap it all up with characters you'll never forget. I love how Denise writes female friendships. They are bonded friendships that last through anything and even when you think they are lost forever there is always a glimmer of something still there.

This first book in the Magnolia Steele mysteries really sets the tone for further books. It left me satisfied but with so many more questions, both from the past and from the present. Did Amy really commit suicide? Or was she set up by the real killer? Why does Magnolia's brother want her out of town so badly and is he really abusive to Belinda? And even now that Maggie is remembering that night in the woods what really happened?

I love knowing everything will be answered in future books and I am really looking forward to more.

So we have an all-star cast of characters in Center Stage and even though this is Maggie's story everyone has a part to play. It will be interesting to see who is playing a part and who is real, who can Maggie trust, who can she really be herself around. I am really excited about this new series by Denise Grover Swank.

Buy Center Stage at Amazon

Book info:
available formats: ebook, print 
published: March 2016 by 
ISBN13: 978-1939996435
genres: women's fiction, mystery
source: author



Get even more book news in your inbox by signing up for our newsletter: http://eepurl.com/mHTVL. A free ebook was provided by this review: Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small commission is earned when purchases are made at Amazon using any Amazon links on this site. Thank you for supporting Girl Who Reads.