Hey, lovelies! It gives me great pleasure today to host Nancy Fraser and her new book anthology, “Yes—These Are Your Grandma’s Romances,” here on FAB!! Nancy’s book collection is comprised of FIVE exciting short stories that all take place during the 1950’s. This particular stop on FAB features Story #2, “Willa Thomas, Attorney-in-Love,” which takes place in Houston, Texas in 1956. For other stops on Nancy’s Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tour and to check out the other stories in this collection, please click on the banner above or any of the images in this post.
Be sure to make it to the end of this post to enter to win a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card!! Also, come back daily to interact with Nancy and to increase your chances of winning!!
This eBook is on SALE during the book tour for ONLY $0.99!!! See below for more details.
Thanks for stopping by!! Wishing you lots of luck in this fabulous giveaway!!
Yes—These Are Your Grandma’s Romances
by Nancy Fraser
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GENRE: Historical Romance Anthology (Vintage 1950s)
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BLURB:
Ah ... the Fifties!
A time of innocence, and the not so innocent. From “I Love Lucy” and “Willy” to “Private Secretary”, “Father Knows Best” and “Bachelor Father”, television and music from the fifties gave us inspiration. Come take a trip down memory lane with these five vintage reads!
Get your romance on, and make grandma proud!
Ed Loves Marnie ~ 1955
Can this handsome military man convince the single mother to take another chance at love? Or, will their shared memory put a wall between them?
Willa Thomas, Attorney-in-Love ~ 1956
Will these co-workers be able to tow the company line and forego a chance at love? Or, will they risk everything for love?
Professor Knows Best ~ 1957
Will this freaky trip back in time to 1957 give her the answers she seeks? Or, only more confusion? How difficult will she find it to navigate being best friends with the college-age version of her own mother?
His Private Secretary ~ 1958
Can she run interference between her handsome boss, his needy family, and the scores of women trying to bed him and wed him and still remain unaffected by his many charms?
The Bachelor Father ~ 1959
Will Nanny #5 be the one to finally ace the job, and coax him out of his shell and back into life? And, will a family vacation to Paris fulfill their wildest dreams?
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EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT:
Day 7: Willa Thomas, Attorney-in-Love ~ 1956
At the sound of her office door opening, Willa glanced up from her coffee and morning edition of the Wall Street Journal to see a tall man in a dark, double-breasted suit standing in her doorway. “May I help you?” she asked.
He strode toward the desk, offering his hand in greeting. “I’m Aaron Baker. I’ve been assigned--”
“The Jamison case,” she said quickly. “Of course.” She shook his hand then motioned the young lawyer to a nearby chair, nearly knocking over a framed picture in the process. Making a quick grab for the silver frame, she set it back into place before taking her seat. “What do you know about Julie Jamison?”
Aaron Baker took the offered seat, drawing it nearer to the edge of her desk, closing the distance between them and, for some reason, causing Willa’s breath to catch in her throat. His broad smile did nothing to calm the sudden race of her pulse.
“Just what I read in the papers. She’s got a temper and is not afraid to use it. Some say she’s spoiled by her success and others blame her erratic behavior on her bad relationships.”
Willa set aside the brief she’d been preparing and met his gaze. Her train of thought derailed momentarily by the unusual shade of his vivid blue eyes, she finally asked, “Are you a country and western music fan, Mr. Baker?”
“Not really. I prefer the more modern stuff. How about you?” He shifted a bit in his seat his gaze focused on her face, as if intensely interested in her response.
“I usually listen to classical, but some of the new music is nice.” Willa stopped short, more than a bit confused as to why she’d volunteered even the slightest bit of personal information.
Despite the fact she’d started the conversation, any further discussion of music preferences had nothing to do with the task at hand. If they were going to work together over the coming months, Willa knew she needed to maintain a professional distance. This was her first big case since her promotion. How she managed her staff would be one of the measures of her abilities as partner.
“So, can you brief me on where we are with Miss Jamison?” Aaron asked, filling the silence.
Willa flushed, embarrassed that it was Aaron who got them back on track rather than her. She cleared her throat. “At the preliminary hearing the judge released her on two million bail. Plus, she’s restricted to the states of Texas and Oklahoma.” Pushing a pile of hastily scribbled notes across the width of her desk, she told him, “I’d like you to review my notes and then make an appointment to speak to the client yourself. Also, take a run past the police station and see if you can speak to the detective in charge of the investigation.”
“What has Miss Jamison had to say for herself so far?” he asked, picking up the papers.
His hands looked strong, capable. The hands of a man who spent time outdoors. Forcing her gaze away from Aaron’s hands, she said, “Nothing much. Not surprisingly, she claims she didn’t do it and that she was asleep at the time.”
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BOOK TRAILER:
Check Out Nancy's Exciting New Book Trailer Below!!!
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JIGSAW PUZZLE:
Nancy Fraser has created a fun jigsaw puzzle for her readers to play!!
Check it out here:
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MY BOOK REVIEW:
This book is a collection of five short stories full of intriguing, enticing, and engaging content set in the charming 1950s!!
As a millennial I wasn’t quite sure about reading an older aged romance book. However, as a huge fan of the author, Nancy Fraser, I knew her intriguing writing style and her impressive storytelling talent would win me over no matter the genre. And I was right, as this book was another home run and did not disappoint one bit. I think Nancy could even write a book about paint drying tips or proper nail clipping etiquette and she would still find a way to keep the story entertaining and the reader completely engaged lol!
I have recently become even more of a fan of these short anthology books!! It is such a great way to enjoy a fun, quick, breezy story that even with a limited number of pages can still hold enough captivating content and conclude with a satisfying ending. Nancy captures the perfect portion of character depth, story line, and plot twists that allow the reader to enjoy an enticing read in just a few dozen pages. These short stories are also the perfect bridge for a reader to get introduced to a new author or genre.
Unfortunately, I only had time to read the second book in the collection, “Willa Thomas, Attorney in Love.” This particular story takes place in Houston, Texas, in 1956. This clearly was a different time for women, especially in the workplace. The laws, expectations, and demands on women were harsh, narrow-minded, and unfair; while their opportunities not only were limited, but also inadequate and unsatisfactory. Even with that said, the main character, Willa, is a successful criminal attorney with a recently obtained promotion to a full partnership at a major law firm. It is mentioned that Willa was both the youngest attorney to be named partner and the first woman – possibly even the first woman in all of Houston. Like I said, it truly was (and thankfully no longer!!) a different time. The story follows Willa as she takes on a new case and agrees to represent the dramatic and bad-tempered Julie Jamison, a famous country singer with a bit of a wild streak. Willa is assigned to work with Aaron Baker as her second chair on the Jamison case. Although working at the same law firm for over two years, but in different practices, they were mostly unknown to each other. However, it is revealed that they both secretly noticed and admired one another from afar. As Willa is a partner at the firm, Aaron is technically her subordinate. Their firm guidelines forbid fraternization among attorneys. Even more so as this would be considered a converse relationship aka subordinate-supervisor relationship that is not only frowned upon but can be considered illegal and grounds for immediate termination. A risk that Willa would not take as it could jeopardize her career and her new promotion. What office romance fling would be worth losing your job and destroying your reputation?! With the Jamison case revolving around a high-profile manslaughter charge Willa and Aaron are forced to spend long hours together. It isn’t long before the late-night work hours start leading to feelings and desires that neither of them can ignore. Will Willa cross the line and act on these yearnings?? Does Aaron want more than just an office romance fling?? Will Willa risk everything for a chance at true love?? No spoilers here!!! But you definitely will want to read this book and find out what happens!!
I absolutely loved the main characters!!! Willa was smart, professional, thoughtful, kindhearted, ambitious, and caring. Aaron was bright, handsome, charismatic, driven, polite, clever, and considerate. These two characters made a great team in both their personal and professional lives. They both were very complementary of each other!!
With these short stories being low on pages, timing is everything!!! And Nancy knows exactly how to not only make the most of each page, but also how to appropriately space out scenes and plot points. As this book is part of the romance genre, obviously there is going to be a romantic relationship in the story. With only 53 pages the characters have to meet, start an encounter, and have some sort of conclusion. Often times I find authors that rush the falling in love theme and even though I still believe in love at first sight, fairytales, and happily-ever-afters, I am still practical enough to know that is unrealistic to meet someone and be in love with them after only one chapter lol. Nancy’s ability to build up to the romantic encounter and the falling in love scenes are so skillfully thought out and realistically placed it creates a truly plausible story. Nothing in Nancy’s writing feels too slow or rushed. Each scene feels genuine and fittingly spaced out.
Even though I really enjoyed this story, and I absolutely agree that so many people meet, date, and fall in love with their co-workers, I do have some strong reserves about converse relationships. I totally get people having relationships at work. If we spend all our time at work where else are you going to meet someone?? Not to mention after spending countless hours working in close contact for days end it makes sense that you’d get to know your co-workers quite well and over time that can easily develop into feelings. However, when you date your boss/manager/supervisor, that can have a direct impact on your career, and in a state like Oregon, that is an at-will employment state where anyone can be fired without cause, it can certainly get complicated. Furthermore, when a supervisor offers special treatment for the employee that they are dating this can cause extreme conflict and tension in the workplace and mistrust among the other employees that are being treated unfairly. So, even though I enjoyed this story and Willa wasn’t Aaron’s direct supervisor, I don’t personally condone these improper and unethical relationships.
I liked that the author highlighted several historical examples of what women had to go through to succeed in a man’s world as it was considered to be such. For instance, Nancy draws attention to Willa going out of her way to never look disheveled in a courtroom as a women’s professional appearance is crucial to be seen and taken seriously. Nancy highlighted the hardships and difficulties of a female attorney, a job previously held only by men. And how Willa was the first female at the firm and more than likely in the whole city to make partner, a high-level position reserved exclusively for men. It is interesting to see the changes and advancements women have made over the last 70+ years. Women have made many positive strides in working in male dominated careers and for male dominated companies. Their determination and hard work have paved the way for today’s women to not only be allowed, but also to have been accepted, recognized, and having succeeded in those particular fields.
I really liked that Nancy also included some historical facts and stats at the end of each story. It helped paint the picture of what life was like back then, especially for a reader who wasn’t alive in the 1950’s or fully aware of the norms and restrictions for women back then.
Like with Nancy’s other books, this book is exciting, entertaining, and hard to put down!!!
I can’t wait to read the other four stories in this book collection and will be sure to update this review to tell you all how much I enjoyed it!!
All in all, I really enjoyed reading this story and would absolutely recommend it – and this book collection too!! I think all historical romance readers and romance fans will like this book too!! So, add it to your TBR List and get to reading - you won't be disappointed!!
**Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book and have voluntarily provided an honest, and unbiased review in accordance with FTC regulations**
Did you find this review helpful?
If so, please, please, please mark it as helpful on Amazon here:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/review/RSNTN0CHQ3HIK
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AUTHOR BIO:
Nancy Fraser – Jumping Across Romance Genres with Gleeful Abandon—is an Amazon Top 100 and Award-Winning author who can’t seem to decide which romance genre suits her best. So, she writes them all.
Like most authors, Nancy began writing at an early age, usually on the walls and with crayons or, heaven forbid, permanent markers. Her love of writing often made her the English teacher’s pet which, of course, resulted in a whole lot of teasing. Still, it was worth it.
Nancy has published over forty books in full-length, novella, and short format. When not writing (which is almost never), Nancy dotes on her five wonderful grandchildren and looks forward to traveling and reading when time permits. Nancy lives in Atlantic Canada where she enjoys the relaxed pace and colorful people.
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BOOK BUY LINKS & BOOK SALE INFO:
**The Yes—These Are Your Grandma’s Romances eBook is on SALE for ONLY $0.99 during the book tour!!!**
Amazon Kindle eBook:
Apple Books eBook:
https://books.apple.com/us/book/id1561179077
Barnes and Noble NOOK eBook:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/yes-these-are-your-grandmas-romances-nancy-fraser/1139151824
Kobo eBook:
https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/yes-these-are-your-grandma-s-romances
Universal Buy Link eBooks/Paperbacks:
http://www.books2read.com/u/bMRR68
Custom Buy Link eBooks/Paperbacks:
http://www.books2read.com/Grandma
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GIVEAWAY INFO:
Nancy will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveaway**This post contains
affiliate links and if clicked and a purchase is made, I may receive a small
commission to help support this blog.
This does not cost you anything, it just helps pay for all those awesome
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Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteNancy ~ Good morning! Welcome back! It is always a pleasure to have you here! Congrats on your exciting new book anthology and good luck on the book tour! I really enjoyed reading and reviewing your book, thanks for providing the copy! :)
ReplyDeleteAlly, you spoil me. As someone who grew up in the fifties, I couldn't agree more about how much women have progressed. Still not totally there yet, but we're working on it. Thank you for the visit and the lovely review. As always, it was thoughtful and complete.
ReplyDeleteI liked the excerpt.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful review, Ally, for this talented author's work.
ReplyDeleteWhat a thoughtful review! Sounds like a good read!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the review! This sounds interesting!
ReplyDelete"If love is an emotion, then is it the expression of our belongingness? Most of you would ask why do you need to define love?"
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like a great book. Thanks for posting!