Any Time, Any Place by Jennifer Probst Blog Tour

 

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We are thrilled to celebrate Jennifer Probst's addition to her Billionaire Builders Series with Any Time, Any Place!  I haven't gotten to this one yet because my TBR pile took a beating while I blew it off to go on a holiday romance binge, but I'm slowly getting to it and can't wait.  I loved the character interactions in Everywhere and Every Way and can't wait to spend a few hours with the characters again.  So, add this one to your TBR and enjoy!  

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ANY TIME, ANY PLACE by Jennifer Probst

Billionaire Builders, #2

BLURB:

HGTV’s Property Brothers meets The Marriage Bargain in this second volume in the Billionaire Builders series, an all-new heart-wrenching and sexy contemporary romance from New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Probst. When she was a teen, Raven Bella Stratton’s father was killed in a horrible car crash. The bigger shock was the discovery of a woman with him—Diana Pierce—and their two fully packed suitcases with airline tickets to Paris. Devastated by her father’s betrayal, Raven went to live with her aunt, never truly overcoming the traumatic event. When she discovers that the mysterious woman had a family with a husband and three boys, Raven vows to leave the memory of her father behind. Until Dalton Pierce visits one night and suddenly her past challenges her future... Leaving his life in California behind to run Pierce Construction with his two older brothers, Dalton Pierce has enjoyed returning home and studying his passion of woodworking. But when he visits the local bar with his brothers one evening, he’s immediately drawn to the smart-mouthed, badass, sexy bartender who sets his body on fire. Unfortunately, she doesn’t seem as intrigued by him, and his multiple advances are met with rejection. When he offers to restore the bar back to its original glory, he begins to work with her on a daily basis, and falls harder. His plan of seduction slowly weaves a web around them both, until they are caught up in the spell. But Dalton doesn’t know the secret that can either destroy them both...or finally mend two broken hearts.

PURCHASE IT NOW

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PURCHASE MORE BOOKS IN THE SERIES

PURCHASE EVERYWHERE AND EVERY WAY NOW

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PRE-ORDER ALL OR NOTHING AT ALL (Coming July 25, 2017)

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AUTHOR INFORMATION:

Jennifer Probst - Bio: Jennifer Probst wrote her first book at twelve years old. She bound it in a folder, read it to her classmates, and hasn’t stopped writing since. She took a short hiatus to get married, get pregnant, buy a house, get pregnant again, pursue a master’s in English Literature, and rescue two shelter dogs. Now she is writing again.

She makes her home in Upstate New York with the whole crew. Her sons keep her active, stressed, joyous, and sad her house will never be truly clean. She is the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of sexy and erotic contemporary romance. She was thrilled her book, The Marriage Bargain, was ranked #6 on Amazon's Best Books for 2012. She loves hearing from readers. Visit her website for updates on new releases and her street team at www.jenniferprobst.com.

AUTHOR LINKS:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Newsletter

Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman

* * * *

From the bestselling author of A Man Called Ove and My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry, a heartwarming and hilarious story of a reluctant outsider who transforms a tiny village and a woman who finds love and second chances in the unlikeliest of places.

Britt-Marie can’t stand mess. She eats dinner at precisely the right time and starts her day at six in the morning because only lunatics wake up later than that. And she is not passive-aggressive. Not in the least. It's just that sometimes people interpret her helpful suggestions as criticisms, which is certainly not her intention.

But at sixty-three, Britt-Marie has had enough. She finally walks out on her loveless forty-year marriage and finds a job in the only place she can: Borg, a small, derelict town devastated by the financial crisis. For the fastidious Britt-Marie, this new world of noisy children, muddy floors, and a roommate who is a rat (literally), is a hard adjustment.

As for the citizens of Borg, with everything that they know crumbling around them, the only thing that they have left to hold onto is something Britt-Marie absolutely loathes: their love of soccer. When the village’s youth team becomes desperate for a coach, they set their sights on her. She’s the least likely candidate, but their need is obvious and there is no one else to do it.

Fredrik Backman has a gift for writing about quirky people in unusual situations thereby creating some memorable stories. He did it with AMan Called Ove (one of my Top 10 of 2015) and he’s done it here again. This time it’s about Britt-Marie, a woman in her early sixties who walks out on a rather dissatisfying marriage. In this new world, an inexperienced Britt-Marie has to find a proper job. The question is if she can find one that bends to her liking. See, she’s rather fastidious in her opinion that things have to be in a certain order or done a certain way. Anything otherwise would be considered “uncivilized”. For example, the cutlery drawer needs to be arranged as such: forks, knives, spoons. Or dinner should be eaten at 6 o’clock, no later and no earlier. Her adherence to social etiquette can test one’s patience but there’s just something so loveable about her that you wind up going with it.

Britt-Marie ends up accepting a temp position at a rec center in the small, run down town of Borg that’s seen better days. The main trucking business left, leaving behind many business to close down and houses to go up for sale. All that's left are the regulars who frequent the local convenience store that sees plenty of bizarre action, and the soccer-loving inhabitants, including some stubborn but well-meaning kids who have ambitions of playing in the cup but desperately in need of a coach to lead them. These are the people who will change her life.

At the heart of the story is Britt-Marie’s eagerness to find herself again. She had gotten used to setting aside her dreams in order to help her loved ones fulfill theirs. As the days go by in Borg, she pinpoints the pivotal moments in her life that have led her here. What she ultimately wants is to matter. After years of being made to feel inadequate she simply wants to feel that someone actually cares about her, that someone notices whether she’s in a room or not. In this town, with people equally as quirky as she is, where their outlook on life is associated with the soccer team they root for, she’s challenged to step out of her comfort zone and accept that things aren’t always black or white, and that there’s a place for creativity and imagination. The results are surprising and hilarious.

Once again, Backman succeeds at making seemingly mundane things fascinating. In Britt-Marie, he’s created a character who despite her social awkwardness manages to not only charm a small town but also the reader. In Borg, he has created a community populated by the most intriguing of personalities. The story doesn't end the way I thought it would but I definitely like the direction. Britt-Marie is the heroine of her own life and I dare say that she's a late-blooming feminist. There’s a lot to be admired about her. In fact, as an ode to her, I even made sure to arrange my cutlery drawer to her approval - forks, knives, spoons - because I am civilized like that. I highly recommend this read!

~ Bel

AUTHOR NEWS!!!

Fredrik Backman is undertaking his first US Book Tour! Definitely check out his books and go see him if he's coming to a bookstore near you! The tour dates are available on his website or click this link: http://www.fredrikbackmanbooks.com/news-events.html

Love Unscripted by Tina Reber

**1/2

An A-List Movie Star. . . 
Ryan Christensen just wanted to be an actor. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine a life where fans would chase him, paparazzi would stalk him, and Hollywood studios would want to own him. While filming in Seaport, Rhode Island, Ryan ducks into a neighborhood bar for a quick escape from legions of screaming fans . . . and finds much more than he expected.

A Small-Town Girl. . . 
Nursing a recent heartbreak, Taryn Mitchell believes men are best kept at a safe distance. But when Ryan Christensen unexpectedly bursts through the front door of her pub, she can’t help but be drawn in by his humor, charm, and undeniable good looks. At six foot two, with dirty blond hair, blue eyes, and an incredible body, Ryan has every girl in Seaport swooning. But Taryn isn’t every other girl.

A Relationship That Doesn’t Follow the Script. . . 
Despite her better judgment, Taryn soon finds herself falling hard for Ryan. But is their bond strong enough to survive the tabloid headlines, the relentless paparazzi, and the jealous fans who seem determined to tear them apart?

The Bad:
Love Unscripted began as a self-published book and is in serious need of editing of the minute detail included in the story.  Instead of adding to the story, these details bog and slow down the read.  Additionally, the sex scenes are also in need of editing and this book contains what is quite possibly the least hot sentence in any sex scene I have ever read and trust me, I've read a lot of them.  I won't tell you what it is, but you will know it when you read it.

The Good:
I like the premise of Love Unscripted.  It's an interesting story and I will be reading Love Unrehearsed (it's a little shorter so I am hoping it had better editing).  Also, Ryan's character has some really great dialogue that will make all the ladies sigh.

~Shel

Waiting on Wednesday (45)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that highlights future releases that we are excitedly anticipating.



By Lenore Appelhans
Publication Date: January 15, 2013

In this gripping exploration of a futuristic afterlife, a teen discovers that death is just the beginning.
Since her untimely death the day before her eighteenth birthday, Felicia Ward has been trapped in Level 2, a stark white afterlife located between our world and the next. Along with her fellow drones, Felicia passes the endless hours reliving memories of her time on Earth and mourning what she’s lost—family, friends, and Neil, the boy she loved.

Then a girl in a neighboring chamber is found dead, and nobody but Felicia recalls that she existed in the first place. When Julian—a dangerously charming guy Felicia knew in life—comes to offer Felicia a way out, Felicia learns the truth: If she joins the rebellion to overthrow the Morati, the angel guardians of Level 2, she can be with Neil again.

Suspended between Heaven and Earth, Felicia finds herself at the center of an age-old struggle between good and evil. As memories from her life come back to haunt her, and as the Morati hunt her down, Felicia will discover it’s not just her own redemption at stake… but the salvation of all mankind

The Book of Lost Fragrances by M.J. Rose

* * 1/2

Jac L’Etoile has always been haunted by the past, her memories infused with the exotic scents that she grew up surrounded by as the heir to a storied French perfume company. In order to flee the pain of those remembrances – and of her mother’s suicide – she moved to America.

Now, fourteen years later she and her brother have inherited the company along with it’s financial problems. But when Robbie hints at an earth-shattering discovery in the family archives and then suddenly goes missing – leaving a dead body in his wake – Jac is plunged into a world she thought she’d left behind.

Back in Paris to investigate her brother’s disappearance, Jac becomes haunted by the legend the House of L’Etoile has been espousing since 1799. Is there a scent that can unlock the mystery of reincarnation – or is it just another dream infused perfume?

The Book of Lost Fragrances fuses history, passion, and suspense, moving from Cleopatra’s Egypt and the terrors of revolutionary France to Tibet’s battle with China and the glamour of modern-day Paris. Jac’s quest for the ancient perfume someone is willing to kill for becomes the key to understanding her own troubled past.

TBLF has a promising start, especially with a very captivating first chapter featuring Jac’s ancestor Giles who is in Egypt with Napoleon unearthing and exploring tombs. Upon uncovering one tomb in particular, Giles comes across the sarcophagus of what appears to be two star-crossed lovers, each clutching a pot containing a potent fragrance that can trigger past life memories.

Fast forward to the present moment; the House L’Etoile is facing a financial crisis. Jac’s brother Robbie believes he has the key to return the family to prosperity because he has found the legendary pottery shards from the tomb that Giles had discovered. The pottery shards contain the recipe for the mythical "memory" fragrance. It's believed that the ancient Egyptians were so adept at creating fragrances that they had discovered a way to trigger past-life memories through scent. To go public with such a discovery would be earth-shattering. The book has many subplots happening simultaneously between various characters, all inter-connected and every one of them facing different ramifications if reincarnation is proven to be possible. Most notably, the biggest would be the political impact on Tibet, the succession of the Dalai Lama and China’s desperate measures to both contain and control that region.

TBLF has so much going for it – mystery, intriguing historical references leading back to the time of Cleopatra and a political undercurrent that gives it an extra edge. Unfortunately it also suffers from too much storytelling, bogged down by needless detail. Too often in the initial chapters the characters will reminisce about something as a means of explaining their situation or their personalities but it just halts the flow of the story. This is especially the case with Jac who is besieged by various issues that it became tedious to the point that I found my interest waning. 

Things did pick up half way through the book such as when Jac succumbed to the "memory" fragrance. Or when all the characters were allowed to move forward and actually do something rather than just sift through their memories. 

While I wasn't exactly blown away by this book, I do still think that its premise is worth checking out. The historical references and past life collections are fascinating and thrilling once you move past the excess details.

~ Bel

Fever by Lauren DeStefano

* * * 1/2

Rhine and Gabriel have escaped the mansion. But danger is never far behind.

Running away brings Rhine and Gabriel right into a trap, in the form of a twisted carnival whose ringmistress keeps watch over a menagerie of girls. Just as Rhine uncovers what plans await her, her fortune turns again. With Gabriel at her side, Rhine travels through an environment as grim as the one she left a year ago – surrounding that mirror her own feelings of fear and hopelessness.

The two are determined to get to Manhattan , to relative safety with Rhine’s twin brother, Rowan. But the road there is long and perilous – and in a world where young women only live to age twenty and young men die at twenty-five, time is precious. Worse still, they can’t seem to elude Rhine’s father-in-law, Vaughn, who is determined to bring Rhine back to the mansion … by any means necessary.

In this sequel to Lauren DeStefano’s harrowing Wither, Rhine must decide if freedom is worth the price – now that she has more to lose than ever.

I was so eager to read Fever that I’d forgotten how disturbing this story can be. It took me a good three chapters to get over it and allow myself to get sucked in. Where Wither took place within the secure and insulated confines of the mansion, Fever finds our heroes on the run exposed to a damaged, volatile and unsympathetic world.

Rhine and Gabriel are instantly dragged into a sinister environment in the scarlet district run by Madame, where apparently Rhine will be the new attraction in this circus-like brothel. Rhine plays along to buy time for herself and Gabriel employing the same tactic she used with Lindley – getting Madame to be comfortable with her and earning her trust. However, Madame is a very unstable character who gives Rhine plenty of the "heebie-jeebies". There were a few times when I thought things would get so wretched. Thankfully, DeStefano sidestepped a potentially terrifying scenario but she didn’t eliminate it entirely. Rhine and Gabriel eventually make their escape but not before a couple of close encounters with some unsavory people.

  

When they finally reach their destination, Rhine is destroyed to find that the home she left – that she held firm in her memory to keep her strong – is no longer the way she remembered it. And … her brother isn’t there. Scouring the streets for some clue, they end up boarding at a foster home. It’s tight quarters but it’s nice that Rhine and Gabriel have some semblance of security.

As Rhine broods over the way things have changed, Gabriel is taking it in for the first time. It's gutting to hear Rhine describe the world as it used to be through her memories and what her parents had shared with her.

Fever has some disturbing and uncomfortable moments that had me on edge but this is the world they live in. Each turn of the page like a hesitating look around the corner to see what's lurking on the other side. Even with the disappointments they've experienced, Rhine and Gabriel manage to keep their humanity intact. By the end of the book, you see how wickedly DeStefano has twisted and spun the story leading to a surprising cliffhanger!

~ Bel

The Wake Trilogy by Lisa McMann

* * * 1/2

NOT ALL DREAMS ARE SWEET

For seventeen-year-old Janie, getting sucked into other people’s dreams is getting old. Especially the falling dreams, the naked-but-nobody-notices dreams, and the sex-crazed dreams. Janie’s seen enough fantasy booty to last her a lifetime.

She can’t tell anybody about what she does – they’d never believe her, or worse, they’d think she’s a freak. So Janie lives on the fringe, curse with an ability she doesn’t want and can’t control.

Then she falls into gruesome nightmare, on that chills her to the bone. For the first time, Janie is more than a witness to someone else’s twisted psyche. She is a participant …

The Wake Trilogy explores the very lonely and exhausting life of Janie who learns that she’s a dream catcher. As a dream catcher she is able to enter into someone’s dream and witness the dream as it unfolds. Janie is particularly susceptible to this if the sleeping person is in close proximity to her. And each time she wakes from the dream, her body and mind are completely wrecked. This has been her life for as long as she can remember. Lisa McCann eloquently builds Janie’s world of isolation and chaos. With a father who deserted the family and a mother so devastated by it that she turned to booze and mentally checked out years ago, it’s a real wonder that Janie manages to somehow hold it together and get good grades in school.

Janie is a different kind of hero – one who carries her own burden silently while simultaneously holding up the fractured remnants of her family. She deals. With her mother lost to her and only one friend who is unaware of her ability, Janie's life is a prison. It's hard to watch when she should be thriving at this time in her life.  

When she bonds with Cabel, a troubled boy from school whom she has known for a while, things begin to change for her. Despite the fact that she is used to keeping her guard up, he becomes a very important part of her life. His gentleness and sincerity are a counterbalance to her dysfunctional reality. And it's through Cabel that she thinks she can experience some sense of "normal" she didn't think possible.

The dreams are still there and when she inadvertently plunges into a horrific nightmare, she thinks she may actually loose her mind. But with Cabel’s help and his surprising story, Janie may finally get the help and support she needs.

In the next two books in the series, Fade and Gone, Janie gets to explore her ability and find a way to use it for good. Fade shows a much more lighthearted Janie even though she finds herself embroiled in a scandal that she and Cabel are investigating. This could not only compromise her safety but also expose her rare ability.

In Gone, Janie and Cabel are dealing with the fallout of the scandal and how it impacts their relationship. This book shows Janie returning to somber, guarded nature as she sadly admits that she can never be normal. Dream catching has also led to some serious side effects that are slowly affecting her. As if that isn't enough, she also learns shocking facts about her family history. By the end, Janie is at that proverbial “fork in the road” and must choose the path she’ll take. Either one leads to deteriorating circumstances but it really does come down to the lesser of two evils.

Out of the 3, I liked Fade best. It was nice to see Janie come alive somewhat and find a sense of purpose other than keeping up her grades and making sure the groceries are done. McMann doesn’t sugarcoat what she and Cabel go through. Even though this is a paranormal story, it rings true and McMann handles some really tough subjects like alcoholism with plenty of finesse.

I recommend The Wake Trilogy because Janie’s dark, twisted world is crafted so beautifully and honestly. And though Janie has a tough road ahead, there’s still some bit of hope. Is it a fun read? No. But I was riveted. And when it ended, I felt satisfied that Janie was in good hands.

~ Bel

A Peek in the Biblio-Bin - #12

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren. It is a way for bloggers to share what books they have won, received for review, bought from the bookstore, borrowed from the library or friend, etc.

This week Bel gives you a Peek in the Biblio-Bin.

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

 

 

 

 

 

In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa's powers for his own dark ends.

With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister's war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move and that one of their own has betrayed them.

Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will; the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?

As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.

"Beautifully crafted", "Fantastically funny." "Compulsively readable." Jonathan Tropper has earned wild acclaim—-and comparisons to Nick Hornby and Tom Perrotta—for his biting humor and insightful portrayals of families in crisis and men behaving badly. Now the acclaimed author of The Book of Joe and Everything Changes tackles love, lust, and lost in the suburbs—in a stunning novel that is by turns heartfelt and riotously funny.

Doug Parker is a widower at age twenty-nine, and in his quiet suburban town, that makes him something of a celebrity—the object of sympathy, curiosity, and, in some cases, unbridled desire. But Doug has other things on his mind. First there's his sixteen year-old stepson, Russ: a once-sweet kid who now is getting into increasingly serious trouble on a daily basis. Then there are Doug's sisters: his bossy twin, Clair, who's just left he husband and moved in with Doug, determined to rouse him from his Grieving stupor. And Debbie, who's engaged to Doug's ex-best friend and manically determined to pull off the perfect wedding at any cost.

Soon Doug's entire nuclear family is in his face. And when he starts dipping his toes into the shark-infested waters of the second-time around dating scene, it isn't long before his new life is spinning hopelessly out of control, cutting a harrowing and often hilarious swath of sexual missteps and escalating chaos across the suburban landscape.

What did you find in your biblio-bin this week?

Gratitude Giveaway Hop!

Ladies & Gentlemen & children of all ages we have another giveway!  Don't tell my fellow BiblioJunkies, because I am trying to hide this one from them!  Shh. So, to show our gratitude to all you folks, we are giving away a super prize pack.  First up is Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare (Hardcover):

And because we don't do anything half-way here at BiblioJunkies, we are giving away a copy of the highly anticipated Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare!

We will ship your lovely copy of Clockwork Prince from Amazon or Barnes & Noble once the book is released on December 6, 2011.  This was Nat's idea, so you all can say a big ol' Thank You to her! 

Anyway, fill out the rafflecopter below and leave a comment with your FB name so that we can verify entries and your email address so that we can notify you if you win - while your at it, let us know what your favorite Black Friday tradition is - I personally love getting up at the crack of dawn (or before) shopping with Bel and getting all slap happy and silly.  We then top off the morning with breakfast at Denny's or similar giggling the whole time and getting weird looks from others.  So Happy Thanksgiving, I hope you get your fill of yummy food, family and shopping!  There are a ton of blogs participating - check out the linky below.  Good luck!

~Shel

You Are Here by Jennifer E. Smith

* * * 1/2

From Simon & Schuster:

Emma and Peter are alike in a lot of ways. They are both lonely in a way that they really only mind once in a while. They both come from families that they don't quite understand. And they both feel like something big is missing from their lives. So this summer they are off to find something. For Emma, it is a grave, a grave that may be her only connection to her family. For Peter it is harder to define, but perhaps easier to navigate. It is a freedom, a sense of something more than what he has now. So off they go, searching for what we all search for; something to make sense of who they are where they come from.

 

If you are looking to read something at a relaxed pace then this is the book for you.

Emma Healey comes from a family of intellectuals that leaves her feeling so completely ordinary.  One day she accidentally discovers a birth certificate for her twin brother followed by a death certificate dated 2 days later.  In an instant, it all makes sense to her why she’s felt like the odd man out.  Now she’s determined to visit her brother’s grave to feel a connection to something, to someone. 

Peter Finnegan is the neighbor who has always wanted to be a part of Emma’s family.  Her parents have always welcomed him as one of their own which is in stark contrast to his relationship with his widower father.  Peter’s penchant for maps of all kinds and his aversion to anything sports-related only widens the distance between them.  Feeling stifled and misunderstood he dreams of leaving town and exploring the world with his maps in tow.

The opportunity comes when Emma calls him out of the blue to rescue her after her car breaks down on her way to North Carolina to visit her brother’s grave.  She invites Peter to join her and he seizes the chance to tag along.  The two sit comfortably in silence, lost in their own thoughts.  Peter never questions why Emma's motivation for going to North Carolina and Emma indulges Peter’s fascination with visiting all the old battlefields during their journey. 

Once they begin to open up, each one offers the other a perspective they haven’t considered in regards to their own circumstances.  Peter who feels his father has never understood him wishes that his dad would share memories of his mother with him.  Instead his father finds fault with his need to escape from their life and go to college elsewhere.  Emma tries to convince him that his dad loves him in his own way, “The thing about parents is that you always just assume they’re supposed to be good at their jobs, because they’re parents.  But they’re usually not.”  Being a parent myself, that sentiment resonated with me. 

Meanwhile, Emma feels betrayed that no one has ever told her about her dead twin brother.  She has felt that there was a missing piece all this time and blames her family for it.  Peter calls her on this pointing out that there have been plenty of times where she has enjoyed the advantages of being “different" from her siblings and parents.  As the journey moves forward, Emma learns more about her family and the impact her brother's death had on them.  There's a very moving scene with Emma and her older sister, Annie that narrows the gap between them.  

I really enjoyed reading about Emma and Peter - Peter especially.  He's so uniquely introspective that it's hard to imagine what Emma would have been like making the road trip on her own.  He helps draw her out of her shell.  Both of them come to some self-realization about their own flaws and mature into wise young individuals.  They gain a new understanding of the people they love most and know that despite what they had believed before, they are certainly not alone.  

- Bel