Release Day! Anna Bright Is Hiding Something by Susie Orman Schnall ~ My Thoughts #AnnaBrightIsHidingSomething @susieschnall @GoSparkPress

Happy Release Day!

Congratulations Susie

on the release today of

Anna Bright Is Hiding Something!

Anna Bright Is Hiding Something by Susie Orman Schnall

Contemporary, Suspense, 331 pages

Published June 4, 2024 by SparkPress

The Dropout meets Inventing Anna in this cinematic and page-turning summer read! A ripped-from-the-headlines story set in the glossy offices of Silicon Valley startups and NYC new media, Anna Bright Is Hiding Something explores our fascination with female founders breaking barriers—and sometimes behaving badly in the process.

Anna Bright is committing fraud. But nobody knows it yet. Not the board of her multibillion-dollar company, not her investors, not the public breathlessly anticipating the launch of BrightSpot, and not the media—including Jamie Roman, a hardworking journalist for BusinessBerry. But when Jamie does learn about Anna’s misconduct, she embarks on a bicoastal journey to expose the crimes and make a name for herself as a journalist. It’s not long before Anna learns what the reporter is up to, however—and she’ll do anything to stop Jamie.

Especially now that BrightLife’s IPO is days away.

My thoughts about Anna Bright Is Hiding Something ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first lines.)

First lines—"On that sunny, hopeful morning of the Vanity Fair Female Founder Conference, Jamie Roman didn't suspect the truth about Anna Bright. No one did."

I usually turn away from this type of story—silicon valley and the corporate world—but I had read another book by this author, thoroughly enjoyed it, and love her writing. So  I was excited to jump into this story.

Anna Bright is a strong, independent women who expects her life, and her company, to soar to the top. When an up-and-coming journalist starts to question her methods and her ethics, the gloves come off. Let me tell you, Anna Bright becomes a person you love to hate and you'll want to see her get what she deserves. And Jamie Roman is the hero you'll be cheering for. 

This is a very well written story, with memorable characters. I was drawn in from the very beginning and had a hard time putting it down, that's how enticing the storyline was for me. I enjoyed it immensely and look forward to reading more from this author. 

I received Anna Bright Is Hiding Something from the publisher and this is my honest opinion of the book.

About the author

Susie Orman Schnall is the author of five novels about ambitious women: Anna Bright Is Hiding Something (2023), We Came Here to Shine (2020), The Subway Girls (2018), The Balance Project (2015), and On Grace (2014).

She’s also a screenwriter currently shopping her first pilot and feature-length screenplay.

A mother of three sons, Susie grew up in Los Angeles, graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, and now lives with her husband in New York.

When she’s not reading or writing you can find her doing a crossword puzzle, playing around on Canva, or hiking to the top of a mountain.

Connect with Susie

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

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This OR That #Giveaway Week 15 ~ We Came Here to Shine by Susie Orman Schnall OR Woman Last Seen in Her Thirties by Camille Pagán #WeCameHereToShine #WomanLastSeenInHerThirties

 

I have sooooo many books! 

The This or That Giveaway! feature that I post every Saturday is a way for me to clear my shelves and to share some of the many books I have. It's a way for me to cull my collection and give someone else the chance to enjoy these treasures.

Good luck and be sure to stop back next week!

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We Came Here to Shine is an insightful, historical novel about a time that most of are not familiar with, the 1939 World's Fair. I really enjoyed it. You can read my thoughts HERE.

We Came Here to Shine

by Susie Orman Schnall

ARC ~ Pub date June 2020

At the iconic 1939 New York World’s Fair, two ambitious young women—a down-on-her-luck actress and an aspiring journalist—form an unlikely friendship as they navigate a world of possibility and find out what they are truly made of during a glorious summer of spectacle and potential…

Gorgeous Vivi is about to begin filming her first starring role in a Hollywood picture when the studio head ships her off to New York as a favor to a friend. She’s assigned the leading role in the heralded Aquacade synchronized swimming spectacular at the World’s Fair, a fate she believes will destroy her film career. If she performs well, she’ll have another chance at stardom, but with everything working against her, will her summer lead to opportunity or failure?

Plucky Max dreams of becoming a serious journalist, but when her job at the New York Times doesn’t pan out, she finds herself begrudgingly working for the daily paper of the World’s Fair. As her ideas are continually overlooked by her male counterparts and her career prospects are put in jeopardy, Max must risk everything to change the course of her life.

When Max and Vivi’s worlds collide, they forge an enduring friendship. One that teaches them to go after what matters most during the most meaningful summer of their lives.

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Woman Last Seen in Her Thirties is another story that I loved, about a woman trying to find herself. You can read my thoughts HERE. 

 

Woman Last Seen in Her Thirties

by Camille Pagán

ARC ~ February 2018

From bestselling author Camille Pagán comes a hilarious and hopeful story about a woman on the verge of a nervous breakthrough.

At fifty-three, Maggie Harris has a good marriage and two mostly happy children. Perpetually anxious, she’s also accumulated a list of semi-reasonable fears: falling air conditioners, the IRS, identity theft, skydiving, and airbag recalls. But never once did Maggie worry that her husband of nearly thirty years would leave her.

On the day Adam walks out the door, everything that makes Maggie secure goes with him. Only then does she realize that while she’s been busy caring for everyone else, she’s become invisible to the world—and to herself.

Maggie cautiously begins to rebuild her life with a trip to Rome, a new career, and even a rebound romance. But when a fresh crisis strikes and an uncertain future looms, she must decide: How much will she risk to remain the woman she’s just become?

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We Came Here to Shine by Susie Orman Schnall ~ My Thoughts #WeCameHereToShine

We Came Here to Shine by Susie Orman Schnall 
Paperback, 384 pages
Published June 16th 2020 by St. Martin's Griffin

At the iconic 1939 New York World’s Fair, two ambitious young women—a down-on-her-luck actress and an aspiring journalist—form an unlikely friendship as they navigate a world of possibility and find out what they are truly made of during a glorious summer of spectacle and potential…

Gorgeous Vivi is about to begin filming her first starring role in a Hollywood picture when the studio head ships her off to New York as a favor to a friend. She’s assigned the leading role in the heralded Aquacade synchronized swimming spectacular at the World’s Fair, a fate she believes will destroy her film career. If she performs well, she’ll have another chance at stardom, but with everything working against her, will her summer lead to opportunity or failure?

Plucky Max dreams of becoming a serious journalist, but when her job at the New York Times doesn’t pan out, she finds herself begrudgingly working for the daily paper of the World’s Fair. As her ideas are continually overlooked by her male counterparts and her career prospects are put in jeopardy, Max must risk everything to change the course of her life.

When Max and Vivi’s worlds collide, they forge an enduring friendship. One that teaches them to go after what matters most during the most meaningful summer of their lives. 

My thoughts about We Came Here to Shine ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first line.)

First line—"Amid dark clouds and heavy rain, hundreds of thousands of enthusiastic visitors turned out to watch as President Roosevelt officially opened the 1939 World's Fair yesterday with a rousing speech promoting 'peace and good-will among all nations.'"

What a wonderful look back at a time that probably most of us don't think about when we think of 'historical fiction'. We Came Here to Shine is set in 1939 at the New York World's Fair. Life for both Vivi and Max take unexpected turns when they find themselves dropped into job opportunities that neither of them want.

Told in alternating chapters of the two women's points of view, we learn a lot about the women—their pasts, their dreams, their loves, and their disappointments. The summer of 1939 might break the two women, or it just might make them stronger. I enjoyed watching the characters grow but it was hard watching them struggle. But remember the times, it wasn't always easy for women back then.

This was also a wonderful look at a World's Fair, an event I've never had a chance to attend. It would have been amazing to experience something of that magnitude. Having the World's Fair as the backdrop to the story of these two women made the experience of reading this book just that more interesting.

We Came Here to Shine is a wonderful escape read when most of us are stuck at home. Give it a try!  

I received a copy of We Came Here to Shine from Goodreads and this is my honest opinion.

About the author

I am the author of two works of historical fiction: We Came Here to Shine and The Subway Girls along with two earlier works of contemporary fiction: The Balance Front and On Grace. I grew up in Los Angeles and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania.

My writing has appeared in publications including The New York Times, The Huffington Post, POPSUGAR, Writer’s Digest, and Glamour. In addition, I have spoken extensively on work-life balance and I'm the founder of The Balance Project interview series.

I live in Purchase, NY, with my husband and our three sons. I love to read, hike, see movies, and make elaborate cheese plates for Friday night happy hour at my house. I'm learning how to watercolor and trying to figure out how to knit. ~ Goodreads

Connect with Susie

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

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Be sure to check the sidebar for my current giveaways!