Welcome to the Blog Tour & Giveaway for At First Glance by Susan L. Tuttle, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
ABOUT THE BOOK
Title: At First Glance
Author: Susan L. Tuttle
Publisher: Bling! Romance (Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas)
Release Date: November 1, 2018
Genre: Contemporary Romance
When it comes to love and matters of the heart, she’s got a lot to learn.
Estate planner Penny Thornton loves dusting off items others gloss over, especially since she relates to feeling tossed aside for the “bright and shiny”. When her younger sister’s approaching wedding launches Penny back into the throes of her dysfunctional family, she decides to use the festivities to close the gap in their relationships—even if it means appeasing them and finally losing the few pounds they’ve hounded her about for years.
But she doesn’t expect to meet two very different men in the process. East Fisher, the personal trainer who personifies everything she believes she could never attain, and Jonah Black, a man who reminds her so much of herself. Both men are more than they appear at first glance, and both seem interested in her romantically.
As Penny uncovers their hidden layers, she discovers when it comes to love and matters of the heart, she’s got a lot to learn about estimating value.
PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon
MY THOUGHTS
What a great debut for Susan L. Tuttle! At First Glance is a gem, which is why readers can have so much fun trying new authors. Relationship-type stories are my favorite, and At First Glance captured my heart and emotions from the first page. It’s a story of self-esteem, self-confidence, finding acceptance and contentment in our own skin. Tuttle is an excellent author and has created a story that is so very relevant.
The characters feel so real as they struggle with lifestyle situations and decisions that are common to all of us. I instantly connected with Penny and felt for her as she tried to deal with the demanding expectations of her sister and mother, when those who are supposed to love us unconditionally find us lacking. Jonah is an endearing character and I loved the scenes where he interacts with his sister and nephew.
The narrative has two points of view, those of both Penny and Jonah. Being brought into Jonah’s mind gave more of a feel for the story’s direction than I would have had otherwise, but it allowed me to know his heart and quickly connect with him. It was so realistic that even while railing against her family’s outward appearance judgments, Penny treated Jonah the same way in the beginning.
At First Glance deals capably and realistically with serious social issues, such as living together before marriage and the drive to meet the world’s standard of beauty. The story reflects the essence of real beauty, to be seen and loved for the person we are, not the “at first glance” outward appearance.
I sincerely hope this is the beginning of a series, for several memorable characters pull at the heartstrings and beg for their own story – such as Rachael and even Belle.
Highly recommended.
I received a copy of this book through Just Read Tours. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Susan L. Tuttle lives in the Mitten State where she’s a homeschooling mom of three and happily married to her best friend. Between raising her teens and leading the women’s ministry at church, she finds time to write. She’s firmly convinced that letters were meant for words, not math, and loves stringing them together into stories that inspire and encourage. Romance, laughter, and cookies are three of her favorite things, though not always in that order. Connect with Susan at http://www.susanltuttle.com.
CONNECT WITH SUSAN: Website | Facebook | Twitter
TOUR GIVEAWAY
(1) winner will receive (US only)
- an ARC copy of At First Glance
- $10 Amazon gift card
- book cozy from The Cozy Life
- cute bookmark
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
great review, Carole!
ReplyDeleteSounds good
ReplyDeleteOh, I am so glad you enjoyed the book! Thank you so much for being a part of the tour and helping celebrate! :)
ReplyDeletePS...my next book may not be a part of this series, but rest assured, there is more from these characters. I love that you even want to hear about Belle...she definitely has more to say:)
ReplyDeleteI'm definitely looking forward to reading At First Glance!
ReplyDeleteThis looks like an interesting read.
ReplyDeleteThis book sounds like a fantastic read.
ReplyDelete