BAGELS & SALSA by Lara Reznik Review

Pump Up Your Book is pleased to bring you Lara Reznik’s BAGELS & SALSA Virtual Book Tour April 2 – 27!

Inside the Book

Title: BAGELS & SALSA
Author: Lara Reznik
Publisher: Enchanted Indie Press
Pages: 296
Genre: Suspense/Romance/Humor

BOOK BLURB:

Author Lara Reznik blends suspense, romance, and humor in her latest novel, BAGELS & SALSA (http://www.larareznik.com/bagels-and-salsa). Loosely based on Reznik’s life, the story of Laila and Eduardo highlights the turmoil that surfaces when a Jewish sociologist from New York and a Hispanic doctor from rural New Mexico fall hard and fast for each other. Their blossoming relationship develops against the backdrop of terror the Son of Sam created in New York City during the summer of 1977.

Early reviews of BAGELS & SALSA praise the story’s dynamic plot and colorful characters:

“The author tells a simple love story, but she structures the novel to provide a panoramic view of her characters” (Kirkus Reviews).

“Another lovely read from Lara Reznik! . . . As with all her novels there are also plenty of fun subplot twists and turns. I wanted more.”  (Barbara Gaines, Former Executive Producer of The Late Show with David Letterman).

BAGELS & SALSA opens at a high school assembly hall in a rough part of the Bronx where Laila Levin is giving her first postdoctorate presentation on the US teen pregnancy epidemic. Her fear of public speaking and a chance encounter with the Son of Sam unravel her as several loud bangs crack through the air. Laila falls on the stage and injures her right shoulder. Fortunately, Dr. Eduardo Quintana jumps into action.

What begins as a playful flirtation while Laila recovers in the hospital propels into a more serious relationship with the handsome doctor. Their mutual passion is so intense that it stuns them both. The unlikely pair share strong family values and an interest in teen pregnancy prevention. After a brief courtship, Eduardo persuades Laila to accompany him to his family’s ranch near Española, New Mexico, where he plans to open a family practice. The rural town has one of the highest pregnancy rates in North America: the perfect place for Laila’s research.

Once in New Mexico, Laila is blatantly rejected by Sylvia, Eduardo’s controlling mother. Sylvia wants Eduardo to marry Violet, his high school sweetheart, who has recently returned to New Mexico after a failed flight attendant career and a walk on the dark side of Hollywood. Violet’s mother and Sylvia cook up a plan to send Laila packing and reunite their children. The Quintanas hold a large pig roast and invite a menagerie of tattooed cousins, rodeo stars, and mariachis. And the drop-dead gorgeous Violet makes a grand entrance.

In the midst of the pandemonium that results, a shocking family secret is revealed, and Laila and Eduardo’s love for each other is severely tested. Can their relationship survive the fierce clash of cultures, the murderous intentions of a Son of Sam copycat who has stalked Laila from New York City, and their own uncertainties about the upheavals that their union will cause in their lives?

Reznik’s first goal in writing BAGELS & SALSA is to entertain readers. However, she says, “On a more thematic level, I’d like readers to think about the importance of embracing religious, ethnic, and cultural differences, which have been at the core of so much conflict in the world.”

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

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Meet the Author

Lara Reznik is a native New Yorker who studied at the University of New Mexico and the University of Iowa’s Writers’ Workshop. Bagels & Salsa is her third novel.

Writing books since she was six years old, Reznik retired from an executive position in information technology after the success of her first novel, The Girl From Long Guyland, published in 2012. In 2015, Reznik published her second book, The M&M Boys.

Reznik currently lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband and two miniature Aussies.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK

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TOUR SCHEDULE

Monday, April 2

Book Featured at PUYB Virtual Book Club

Guest Blogging at Blogging Authors

Tuesday, April 3

Book Teaser Featured at PUYB Book Teasers

Wednesday, April 4

Book Featured at I’m Shelf-ish

Thursday, April 5

Book Review at Cheryl’s Book Nook

Friday, April 6

Guest Blogging at C.A. Milson’s Author Blog

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Monday, April 9

Book Review at Books for Books

Tuesday, April 10

Interview at My Bookish Pleasures

Wednesday, April 11

Book Featured at Stacking My Bookshelves

Thursday, April 12

Book Review at Sefina Hawke’s Books

Book Featured at Write and Take Flight

Friday, April 13

Book Featured at A Title Wave

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Monday, April 16

Interview at Confessions of an Eccentric Bookaholic

Tuesday, April 17

Book Featured at Bound 2 Escape

Wednesday, April 18

Book Featured at Book Bloggin’ Princess

Thursday, April 19

Guest Blogging at The Story Behind the Book

Friday, April 20

Book Featured at Rising Indies United

Interview at Blogger News Net

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Monday, April 23

Interview at SheWrites

Tuesday, April 24

Interview at The Writer’s Life

Wednesday, April 25

Guest Blogging at Lori’s Reading Corner

Thursday, April 26

Interview at Literarily Speaking

Friday, April 27

Book Review at Stormy Nights Reviewing & Bloggin’

Book Review at Deal Sharing Aunt

My Review:

This was a great read about how home is where your heart is. I liked that the character moved and as a reader I got used to the new setting just like Laila. It was fun at times to see her reaction to the new characters she was introduced to. I also got mad at the "ex-characters" when they showed up and tried to make trouble for Laila and Eduardo's relationship. This is a great book to read on a relaxing summer day. I am giving this book a 4/5. I was given a copy, all opinions are my own. 

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