Thursday, July 4, 2013

Summer Heat Blog Tour Stop: Review - In My Mother's Footsteps by Forbes Arnone



In My Mother’s Footsteps by Forbes Arnone
Anela Alborn’s life is a lie. After growing up without the love of a father, her mother reveals his identity. Tragedy strikes and she sets off on an adventure that leads to more than she could ever imagine. Bumping into Christian Sivers distracts her from the real man of her dreams, her father. Will he live up to her dreams? And does she follow in her mother’s footsteps?

Excerpt—
My brown, wooden, antiquated cottage sat on top of a hill in Sausalito. The shingles were bleached out from exposure to the sun’s rays. A beautiful, naturally-worn deck wound around the small chalet and gave me one of the best views in town. The bold, red peaks of the Golden Gate Bridge were visible through the light haze of fog over the ocean. With the hot sun working overtime to clear the sky, the fog always seemed to linger around the tops of the bridge. To my left, I could look down and see the rocky shore that the tourists often frequented. The slick brown and black seals liked to sunbathe on the boulders at the water’s edge. People would gather to take pictures or have lunch in one of the quaint restaurants that overlooked the choppy, aqua-blue ocean.
I had grown up in Sausalito my entire life. With the exception of when I went to Berkley, I hadn’t adventured into the city much. Sometimes, I'd take the ferry to Angel Island with my mountain bike and take leisurely rides or run the hills. I hadn't done that since I ran out of my mother's house, either.
Now that I had packed up all of her belongings — with the exception a few things I wanted to keep — I was exhausted. As I sat on the deck of my small cottage and stared out into the vast ocean, I felt anxious about the file that sat on my lap. Lennie had given it to me at his office three days before and I had yet to open it. The fear at what I'd find seeped in and turned my stomach.
Focusing my attention, I looked down at the folder and decided the time had come to face whatever was inside. My hands trembled as I lifted the two metal prongs and opened the flap. I tipped the folder upside down to empty the contents, finding the usual white sheets of paper that were full of legal jargon. How I wished I didn't know what they meant. Sifting through it all, I found a copy of the deed to the house, which stated that it had been transferred to my name. Also, there was the pink slip to my mother's car to be filled out and mailed to the Department of Motor Vehicles, and a small envelope with my mother's messy, artsy script on the front. One word had been written on it: Anela.
My Review
This was the first story in this series and hands down out of the three this was my favorite one.  These books are great if you are looking for a short and light summer time read.
This first story, In My Mother's Footsteps, is about a girl named Anela who's mother suddenly passed away leaving her alone in the world and still missing the one thing she's always wanted in life, her father.  Her mother told her that her father was dead, but in reality in a stunning confession made by her mother a few months prior her father wasn't dead and still alive in Hawaii where they first met.  In the folder her mother left her are clues about her father and a plane ticket to go to Hawaii for two months.  Not having any obligations or a job just yet, she decides to go and see if she can located him.
Much to her disappointment, her father is on leave and has not yet returned home.  Resigned and a little sad that she has to wait to tell her father that he has a daughter she decides to go to the beach.  That's when she meets Christian Sivers who is a soldier just like her dad.  They go out twice and seem to really hit it off before he abruptly pulls away from her leaving her once again alone and confused.  It's not until sometime later that Christian finally confesses he doesn't know how to do relationships but is willing to try leading them down the path of dating one another.  While Anela is scared to follow the same path her mother did, she decides to go with the flow exploring the place on the island her mother wanted to see and even falling for a solider just like her mother did.
When Anela meets her father and his wife they are quick to take her in as their family, but with her trip coming to a close and being forced to go home alone again can Anela gain the family she's always wanted?  Or will she once again feel abandoned and alone?
I enjoyed this story a great deal.  While it's not normally the type of book I read I found it sweet and enjoyable and would read it again just to have something light and fun to read, this particular story I give 5 stars!

Author Bio--
Jennifer Garcia’s (aka Forbes Arnone) love of travel began when she traveled to the West Coast to visit her father at the age of three. Her home until she was sixteen was a small coastal town near Boston. She currently resides in Los Angeles with her husband, two sons, and two dogs.
Her lifelong love for reading and writing was put aside for many years while she made her way in the world and nurtured her young family. Even though she is older, and life never seems to settle, she’s finding her way while attending college full-time in pursuit of a B.A. in English Literature. She also runs a business, and is still caring for her family. Believing she can do it all, with the help of her family, she worked on her first novel during the late hours of the night while balancing the rest of her life during the day. Her hard work paid off, as her first novel, My Mr. Manny, will be published August 2013.
Find Jennifer on:



Forbes Arnone’s Tour Schedule:

7/1-Promo/excerpt: Laurynne
7/1-Guest Post: Annamaria
7/1-Promo/excerpt: Emily Birch
7/1-Interview: Tilly Currer
7/1-Review: Wyndy Dee
7/2-Promo/Excerpt: Ashley/Melissa
7/2-Review: Sarah Aisling
7/3-Review: Sandi Layne
7/3-Review: N. Isabelle Blanco
7/4-Promo/Excerpt: Jude Ouvrard
7/4-Review: Rose Caceres
7/5-Review: Nat Wood
7/5-Guest Post: Fandom Fanatic
7/6-Promo/excerpt: Peggy
7/7-Guest Post: Anna Crosswell


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