Deal Sharing Aunt: The P-Town Queen and Afterglow by Ute Carbone!

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

The P-Town Queen and Afterglow by Ute Carbone!

The P-Town Queen

by Ute Carbone
Genre(s): Contemporary Romance
Category(ies): Comedy
Publisher: Champagne Books
Release Date: June 4, 2012
Heat Level: Sensual
Length: 180 print pages

Buy Links

Champagne Books: http://champagnebooks.com/shop/index.php?route=product/product&manufacturer_id=132&product_id=583
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/The-P-Town-Queen-ebook/dp/B0088QAL6G/
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-theptownqueen-819120-149.html
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-p-town-queen-ute-carbone/1112177259
BookStrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/the-p-town-queen
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/270173

Blurb

Nikki Silva feels like she’s blown up her life even as her brothers tease her about blowing up a boat called the Mona Lisa. Divorced, funding for her shark research cut off, she’s moved back to Provincetown to live with her father in her childhood home. Nikki hopes to regain herself. She’s written a grant proposal for the newly formed Massachusetts Bay Commission to fund a study that will get her back to the sort of research she loves. The commission is run by her ex-husband Ned, who would rather have a migraine than give money to his ex-wife.

Marco Tornetti wants to turn a hole-in-the-wall Newark spaghetti joint into a trendy bistro. His silent partner, Fat Phil Lagosa, wants to use the place to solicit questionable business deals. When Fat Phil accuses Marco of a double cross and has him taken for a ride by one of his hit men, Marco knows he’s in too deep.

Marco escapes the hit man and takes the first bus out of the Tri-state area, a bus chartered by the Greater Teaneck Gay Men’s Choir and headed for Provincetown. Marco figures that Phil would never look for him in Provincetown‘s gay community. But when he meets Nikki and falls hard for her, he finds that pretending to be gay isn’t as easy as it would seem.

My Review:

I liked that Nikki's dad had a roll in Nikki's relationship. I also liked the idea of hiding away from a hitman. Nikki had good character qualities as well. I liked the banter between her and her brothers. It was interesting to see a divorcee fight with herself to see if she could love again.

I also thought that it was ironic that Marco decided to pretend to be gay. He could have pretended to be anything but gay, and he would have had a chance with Nikki.

I liked the ending and found this a fast and easy read. I am giving this a 4/5 because there is nothing in this book to make it go on my must keep and reread shelf.

Afterglow

by Ute Carbone

Genre(s): Contemporary Romance, Romantic Comedy

Category(ies): Comedy, May-December

Publisher: Champagne Books

Release Date: January 7, 2013

Heat Level: Sensual

Length: 220 print pages

Blurb

India Othmar isn’t having a great year. Her husband of thirty-one years has left her for their son’s ex-girlfriend. Her grown children have moved home. Her best friend Eva seems determined to set her up with every oddball in their small Massachusetts town. And her most significant relationship these days is with Cherry Garcia.

But India is more resilient than she thinks. And though it will take a broken arm, a lawn littered with engine parts, some creative uses for shoes, and a scandalous love affair of her own, she learns, much to her surprise, that her life hasn’t ended with her marriage.

My Review:

I was hooked after reading the first chapter of this book. I also wanted to slap India's husband myself for what he did to her, and his son. I love Cherry Garcia ice cream, and can think of no better comfort food. I love the idea of "practice dating". I think that we should all embrace practice dating. Blind dates are perfect for practice!

Of course her first pratice date got drunk and spent the night in a seperate room. That did not stop him from entering the kitchen the next morning and surprising India's son so much that he ended up needing stiches. It also did not stop him from leaving his toupee for India's daughter to find. This is either a really bad first date, or a really good practice date!

I really liked the ending of this book and loved how the characters lives ended up!

This was a fast read and I was addicted from the first chapter.

I give this book 5/5. It is a keeper!

Buy Links

Champagne Books: http://champagnebooks.com/shop/index.php?route=product/product&manufacturer_id=132&product_id=628

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Afterglow-ebook/dp/B00AXUUG74/

ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-afterglow-1039661-149.html

BookStrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/afterglow-0

About the Author

Ute began her writing life as a poet and has had a number of poems published in small press magazines and anthologies. Her work has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and has appeared in such publications as Comstock Review, Hawaii Pacific Review, and Bellowing Ark. Her novels include Blueberry Truth, Afterglow, and The P-Town Queen, which has been nominated as Champagne Books novel of the year for 2012. She also has a novella, The Whisper of Time, available as an e-book and work in several anthologies including a short story in Shared Secrets, and poems in Poems from the Cranberry Room, and Poets Unbound.

Ute, who pronounces her name oohtah, was born in Germany and grew up in upstate New York. She and her husband reside in Nashua, NH. They have two grown sons. Ute enjoys hiking, skiing, and generally anything that involves being outside. She loves the theatre and attends as regularly as time and money will allow. She’s a bibliophile who will read just about anything, though she loves novels best.