Book Review: My Twin in Budapest by Kim Cano

 Book Review

My Twin in Budapest

Kim Cano

Book Description:

An uplifting women's fiction novel full of romance, intrigue, and a vacation that shapes destiny.

After being dumped by her fiancé, heartbroken Morgan spends time with her best friend, Amanda, hoping to forget her troubles. While looking through old family photographs together, Morgan notices a picture of Amanda’s grandmother, Veronika. The woman looks just like her. Suddenly, meeting her becomes important. The only problem is that she lives overseas.

On a trip to Budapest, Morgan meets Veronika, who is now eighty years old. As the two women get to know each other, Veronika shares a secret with Morgan about a tragic romance that ended under mysterious circumstances. Discovering what happened becomes Morgan’s obsession. Veronika’s happiness is her number one goal. Morgan thinks that if she can fix Veronika’s life, there may be hope for her own.

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My 5-Star Review:

After a heartbreaking breakup, Morgan visits her dear friend Amanda and while looking through her friend’s family photos she is shocked to see an old photo of Amanda’s grandmother who looks exactly like her. Feeling enlightened by this revelation, Morgan is obsessed with meeting the woman who was her twin. So, when Amanda invites her along on a family trip to Budapest to visit her grandmother Veronika, Morgan jumps at the chance to meet her “twin.”

My Twin in Budapest is a heartwarming story of a woman on a mission to find happiness through helping another woman find her own happily ever after. Well-written and intriguing, it will keep you turning pages to the very end. I highly recommend this beautiful women’s fiction novel.

 

About the Author:

Kim Cano is the author of six women's fiction novels: A Widow Redefined, On the Inside, Eighty and Out, His Secret Life, When the Time Is Right, and The Healing Train. She writes emotionally charged book club reads about second chances, family life, and friendship.

Visit Kim at www.kimcano.com

Book Review: The Healing Train by Kim Cano

 Book Review

The Healing Train

Kim Cano

Book Description:

A devastating diagnosis. A family with a broken past. Embark on an uplifting journey of love, hope, and the ultimate second chance.

When health-conscious Sarah gets diagnosed with breast cancer, her world spins out of control. She's supposed to grow old with her husband and see her daughter graduate college. Her future is all planned out. Getting sick wasn't part of her plan.

Friends and family rally around Sarah as she battles the disease. Her best friend offers inspirational advice while her mother takes her to treatment, her daughter makes green juice, and her older brother provides emotional support and makes her laugh with his ever-present potty mouth.

Then Sarah's estranged father returns. She gave up on him long ago and doesn't want to reconnect, but he won't go away, so she's stuck dealing with him at the worst possible time. His presence forces her to face a past she'd rather forget as she uses all her strength to fight for her life.

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My Five-Star Review:

When health-conscious Sarah is hit with a life-changing diagnosis, her world caves in around her. She tries to stay positive during her treatment with the help of her husband, daughter, and mother. Each week, as she takes the train into Chicago for treatment, Sarah looks ahead to her future, hoping she will be there for those she loves. But then her estranged father enters the picture, and it takes all the energy Sarah has left to deal with the family issues that have lain dormant for years.

The Healing Train by Kim Cano is a heartfelt story of a woman on a journey of healing and repairing old family wounds. This realistic story of a woman dealing with breast cancer will open your eyes to what a cancer patient endures and give you empathy for all the character goes through. The family that surrounds her reminds you of your own loving family members, each with their own unique personalities. This incredible story will certainly touch your heart.

 

About the Author:

Kim Cano is the author of six women's fiction novels: A Widow Redefined, On the Inside, Eighty and Out, His Secret Life, When the Time Is Right, and The Healing Train. She writes emotionally charged book club reads about second chances, family life, and friendship.

Learn more about Kim at: www.kimcano.com

Book Review: On The Inside by Kim Cano

 Book Review

On The Inside

Kim Cano

 

Book Description:

She didn't know what she stood to lose - until hope was all she had left.

Kristen was living the dream - a loving husband, adorable children, a successful career. Why hadn't it been enough? She's had a lot of time to ponder the answer - behind bars.

It was a little fudging of the numbers, just once to cover some unpaid bills. Somehow, she wound up a convicted white-collar criminal, sentenced to a women's prison full of drug dealers and murderers, enduring days of mind-numbing tedium punctuated by moments of harrowing violence. A place where respect is earned with one's fists.

Yet within these walls, random acts of kindness occur, friendships form, and people fall in love. Letters from her sister-in-law keep Kristen connected to the family she's lost. They give her hope that someday she might be given a second chance. But first, she must face the personal demons lurking in the shadows of her soul - and find a way to forgive herself.

 

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My 5-Star Review:

Kristen goes to prison for stealing from her employer and soon learns that life on the inside is a complicated combination of boredom, loneliness, stress, and fear. She’s lost everything—her husband won’t speak to her and her children are being kept away from her, too. Without the kindness of her sister-in-law who writes to her regularly, she would be completely lost.

As the years go by, Kristen makes friends and enemies. She finds her own path in the prison system with the goal to get out someday and hopefully be a part of her family’s life again.

On The Inside by Kim Cano is a thought-provoking story filled with interesting characters and the lives they lead inside prison. Peppered with strong emotions and heartfelt connections, you will find yourself intrigued by the women who live behind bars and their many stories. I highly recommend this novel to those who enjoy a realistic telling of what it takes to live on the inside.

 

About the Author:

Kim Cano is the author of five women's fiction novels: A Widow Redefined, On the Inside, Eighty and Out, His Secret Life, and When the Time Is Right. Readers say her books are about strong women who struggle but survive, hard-won second chances, family life, and friendship.

Kim has also written a short story collection called For Animal Lovers. 10% of the sale price of that book is donated to the ASPCA® to help homeless pets.

Visit Kim's website to receive a free copy of The Rescue: www.kimcano.com

Book Review: Eighty and Out by Kim Cano

Book Review

Eighty and Out

Kim Cano

 
Back in the 1950s, when my younger sister Jeannie and I were kids, we made a pact not to live past age 80.
 
We'd seen our Aunt Violet waiting to die in the nursing home, and we decided that wouldn't happen to us. We'd live life to the fullest and go out on our own terms.
 
Little did we know what fate had in store for us.

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My 5-Star Review:

Growing up in the 1950s, Louise and her little sister, Jeannie lived the typical family life with their parents in the busy city of Chicago. But Louise always dreamed of living on a ranch in the southwest and owning horses. She knew that was her destiny. One of the most dreaded things Louise had to do was visit her Aunt Violet in the nursing home. While she thought her aunt was nice, she hated the smell and seeing all the older people just waiting to die. She and Jeannie made a pact: They would live their lives to the fullest and go out on their own terms at eighty. But life doesn’t always go exactly as planned.

Eighty and Out is a well-written novel with interesting characters and a unique storyline. The story begins with the girls as children and follows them throughout their lives. We experience their highs and lows, joyful times, heartaches, and disappointments. Dreams change and sometimes hope fades, but Louise stays strong through it all. It is a heartfelt story that readers of women’s fiction novels are sure to enjoy.

About the Author:

Kim Cano is the author of four women's fiction novels: A Widow Redefined, On The Inside, Eighty and Out, and His Secret Life. Kim has also written a short story collection called For Animal Lovers. 10% of the sale price of that book is donated to the ASPCA® to help homeless pets.

Kim wrote a contemporary romance called My Dream Man under the pen name Marie Solka.

Kim lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband and cat.

Visit Kim's website to learn more and sign up to be notified of new releases: www.kimcano.com

You might also enjoy A WIDOW REDEFINED by Kim Cano. Read my review here.

Book Review: A Widow Redefined by Kim Cano

Hi all,

I purchased A WIDOW REDEFINED by Kim Cano because the plot intrigued me. I thought I knew what kind of story it would be. Was I ever surprised. And it was a good surprise. Kim took the story in a different direction, making it unique and interesting. Below is more about this novel and my review.

A Widow Redefined

Kim Cano

Book Description:

On a cold Valentine’s Day in Chicago, Amy White, a young widow who lost her husband to cancer, visits the cemetery and makes an unsettling discovery: a bouquet of fresh daffodils lying in front of her husband’s grave.

Curiosity grows into obsession as Amy searches for the stranger who left the flowers, while keeping her activities a secret from her live-in mother and seven-year-old son. The search leads to an unusual friendship that transforms her world and redefines her life.

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Or Read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited.

My 5-Star Review:

Two years after the death of her husband, Amy is surprised to see that someone has left a bouquet of daffodils on his grave. Unable to push this from her mind, Amy sets out to learn who the mystery person is. When Amy sees a woman leaving flowers again, she follows her car and confronts her about her relationship with her husband. She is a beautiful woman who was a loyal customer of Amy’s husband. What ensues is an unexpected friendship with a woman who Amy had thought was a rival. Until she learns the truth.

A Widow Redefined is not the story you assume it will be. With well-developed characters and a fascinating storyline, it surprises you with interesting twists all the way to the end. Well written and thought-provoking, this story will stay with you long after you’ve closed the book.  

About the Author:

Kim Cano is the author of four women's fiction novels: A Widow Redefined, On The Inside, Eighty and Out, and His Secret Life. Kim has also written a short story collection called For Animal Lovers. 10% of the sale price of that book is donated to the ASPCA® to help homeless pets.

Kim wrote a contemporary romance called My Dream Man under the pen name Marie Solka.

Kim lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband and cat.

Visit Kim's website to learn more and sign up to be notified of new releases: www.kimcano.com

Read my review of Kim Cano’s novel HIS SECRET LIFE

Book Review: His Secret Life by Kim Cano + Giveaway!

Hi all,

I’ve known Kim Cano since she published her first book, A Widow Redefined but I hadn’t yet had a chance to read one of her books. So when she offered me a copy of her latest novel, His Secret Life, I jumped at the chance to read it. Here is more about the book and my thoughts.

 

Don't forget to enter the giveaway to win 1 of 2 Kindle copies of His Secret Life!

 

His Secret Life

Kim Cano

 

Book Description:

Gay men don’t fall in love with women. Do they?

Philip is a gay man working for a conservative corporation. After his recent promotion, he needs a date for a company function and asks his sister’s new roommate, Emily.

Emily is an actress, waiting tables while starring in local plays and hoping for her big break. She agrees to be Philip’s date for the party, and soon they are attending one event after another together.

Philip and Emily click on many levels. Lines blur as the people they pretend to be start feeling like the people they are, causing a rift with Philip’s boyfriend Jason.

When Philip no longer works for the company, he doesn’t need Emily to play the role of his girlfriend anymore, but to his surprise, he can’t let her go.

 

 

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Paperback

 

My 5 Star Review:

 

Philip is a rising star in his company and doesn’t want anything to get in the way of his climb up the corporate ladder. Philip is also gay. Believing that his conservative bosses wouldn’t understand about his being gay, he’s been pretending he is straight and hiring women to pretend to be his girlfriend at company parties and dinners. But on one such occasion, he hires he sister’s roommate, Emily, an actress, to play the part of his girlfriend, and soon finds he is attracted to her. But could he possibly ever fall in love with a woman?

 

His Secret Life is a well-written and thoughtful love story with a twist. Kim Cano has written a story with well-fleshed-out characters and situations that make you pause and think. Philip’s story is unique, yet many men have felt as he has for generations. He knew he was gay, yet wasn’t comfortable telling the world, and he also wasn’t accepted by his father for who he was. Falling in love with Emily changed that, but Philip still struggled with how he felt. I think Kim did a wonderful job of expressing Philips feelings as he navigates unfamiliar territory. This is not your typical love story – but it is a thoughtful, interesting read.

 

 

About the Author:

 Kim Cano is the author of four women's fiction novels: A Widow Redefined, On The Inside, Eighty and Out, and His Secret Life. Kim has also written a short story collection called For Animal Lovers. 10% of the sale price of that book is donated to the ASPCA® to help homeless pets.

Kim wrote a contemporary romance called My Dream Man under the pen name Marie Solka.

Kim lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband and cat.

Connect with Kim:

 Her Website

Facebook

Twitter

 

Giveaway Time!  

 

Enter to win one of two Kindle copies of His Secret Life!

U.S. Residents only - Ends 7/22/16

 

 

 

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Cheers,

Deanna