About The Book:
Title: Divine Moves
Author: Ellyn Oaksmith
Purchase: Amazon
Seventeen years of loving is a hard habit to break…
Meryl thought things couldn’t get any worse. She’s caught her husband in bed with the neighbor. She just found out she’s broke. Then her outrageous mother, Faye, shows up.
Faye wants to be a grandmother and has money to loan so it’s hard to say no. But what Meryl doesn’t know is that Faye, a former stripper and born again Christian, plans on opening an exotic dance and women's fitness studio in Meryl’s affluent suburban community.
When Meryl’s book club gets roped into promoting the studio by dancing at a charity tea, they discover that their laced up ‘burb isn’t as proper as they think. As her husband fights to win her back, Meryl grows increasingly attracted to a handsome sheriff, recovering from his own loss. As a crisis looms, Meryl must face her demons from the past. But first she has to get through Christmas.
Funny, sad and sweet, Divine Moves reveals the forces that derail our lives and the sometimes divine intervention that keeps us on track.
Excerpt:
He made it a few steps before pausing, crossing his arms and breathing deeply, trying to think. She watched him. He turned, walking swiftly toward her until his face was inches from hers. The wind blew her hair in her eyes. His hand itched to move it, to feel the softness of her hair.
If he could have anything on earth at that moment, it would be to close his eyes and bury his face in her hair. He leaned in until their noses nearly touched. “I have never in my life dated a married woman and I sure as hell am not going to start now.”
Her eyes flashed. “Especially not some doped up pyromaniac who cuts up her husband, right?”
He drew a line and she was playing tic tac toe. “You said that, not me.”
“Alright, how would you describe me?”
He looked up at the soft grey sky. Chubby flakes of snow drifted against the towering cottonwoods ringing the school. “A very brave woman doing the best she can.”
Her green eyes filled the tears. “That is the nicest thing anyone’s said to me in a hundred years.”
“Oh, come on. You don’t look a day over eighty-eight.”
She laughed, wiping a tear.
His face grew somber. “You’re so pretty Meryl.”
He leaned in as if he was going to kiss her. She closed her eyes, wanting nothing more but his lips on hers. When she opened her eyes, he was looking at his watch. “I’ve got horrible pictures of drug addicts to share with young minds.”
“You do that.” Her eyes remained glued on him as he walked backwards for a few steps. “I’ll make sure Nathalie is enrolled in your class.”
He nodded, turned and jogged into the school. Watching him disappear, Meryl felt, for the first time since she’d caught Ethan cheating, something akin to happy.
If he could have anything on earth at that moment, it would be to close his eyes and bury his face in her hair. He leaned in until their noses nearly touched. “I have never in my life dated a married woman and I sure as hell am not going to start now.”
Her eyes flashed. “Especially not some doped up pyromaniac who cuts up her husband, right?”
He drew a line and she was playing tic tac toe. “You said that, not me.”
“Alright, how would you describe me?”
He looked up at the soft grey sky. Chubby flakes of snow drifted against the towering cottonwoods ringing the school. “A very brave woman doing the best she can.”
Her green eyes filled the tears. “That is the nicest thing anyone’s said to me in a hundred years.”
“Oh, come on. You don’t look a day over eighty-eight.”
She laughed, wiping a tear.
His face grew somber. “You’re so pretty Meryl.”
He leaned in as if he was going to kiss her. She closed her eyes, wanting nothing more but his lips on hers. When she opened her eyes, he was looking at his watch. “I’ve got horrible pictures of drug addicts to share with young minds.”
“You do that.” Her eyes remained glued on him as he walked backwards for a few steps. “I’ll make sure Nathalie is enrolled in your class.”
He nodded, turned and jogged into the school. Watching him disappear, Meryl felt, for the first time since she’d caught Ethan cheating, something akin to happy.
My Review:
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Divine Moves by Ellyn Oaksmith is a standalone book that will have you emotionally invested in the characters from the very first chapter.
Sad and funnt, heart-warming and heart-breaking, this novel will have you questioning fate's sick sense of humor. So much drama just keeps getting dumped on Meryl's lap you begin to wonder just how she's going to survive it. The cheating husband, the stripper mother, Mother's attempt to open an exotic dance studio in Meryl's small hometown...The list goes on.
This book is an enjoyable but exhausting read so make sure you have your big girl panties on when you dive in to Divine Moves.
About The Author:
I've been hooked on writing since 4th grade when my story of an alley cat was read in class as an example of a good scene setting. I just about fell off the chair in utter joy. I was a total goner when a film I'd written while at the American Film Institute was screened and people laughed. At the right places!
At Smith College I gave my professor a heart attack when I compared Tess of the D'Urbervilles, the book, to the movie.
I write every day from 10-2 although while editing, it's much longer. I live in Seattle Washington with my family and my shelter dog who is my workout partner. I love to interact with readers on https://www.facebook.com/EllynOaksmith and http://ellynoaksmith.tumblr
Social Links:
Giveaway:
Thank you for hosting today!
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting and for the nice review. If you haven't already done so, I'd really appreciate a copy of it on Amazon.com. Love the line "You'd better be wearing your big girl panties." (The next one, Fifty Acts of Kindness, is much lighter.) Thanks again! -- Ellyn Oaksmith
ReplyDelete