Andrea Dunlop

WOMEN ARE THE FIERCEST CREATURES by ANDREA DUNLOP

March 11, 2023

”If everything women do is invisible, people have an excuse to erase them.”

First of all, this book is fantastic!! Part thriller, part women’s fiction, I could not tear myself away from this engrossing story. It is not to be missed! The Pacific Northwest also has a starring role and this book made me want to visit Washington State again.

I have followed the author’s career ever since she reached out to me back in 2016 (!) to read her fabulous debut book, Losing the Light. I could not help but envision her newest book as a miniseries as I was reading. Someone please option this for Hulu or Netflix!

Told from the viewpoint of several different women, this book is incredibly timely and empowering. Loved everything about it, including the gorgeous cover and the women in tech. The relationships are all very realistic and each of the main protagonists are perfectly written. Everyone has flaws but most are struggling to make the right choices.

”If you didn’t choose a person when it counted, calling them the love of your life meant nothing.”

(Many thanks to the publisher for the free copy. All thoughts are my own.)

About the Book:

In this wildly addictive novel, three overlooked women take on the charming, manipulative tech CEO who wrote them out of his startup’s history.

Anna Sarnoff is still reeling from her quickie divorce from tech wunderkind Jake Sarnoff. Forced out of the company that she helped Jake build, Anna is trying to pick up the pieces of her life, navigating the waters of solo parenting their two teenage boys and adapting to her new role of ex-wife. To make things more complicated, Jake seems to want her back…and his persuasiveness tempts her to say yes.

Across town, the brilliant and striking Samanta Flores-Walsh, Jake’s college girlfriend, is busy raising her teenage daughter and running her thriving yoga studio. Although their relationship ended years ago, unanswered questions from their time together gnaw at her, and when she learns that Jake is planning to take his billion-dollar company public, she starts to wonder if perhaps it isn’t too late for justice.

Finally, there’s Jake’s much younger new wife, Jessica, who’s struggling to stay afloat as a new mom while her high-profile husband grows increasingly distant.

Set in the wealthy enclaves of Seattle’s tech elite, the lives of these three women grow entangled as long-held secrets are forced to the surface, threatening to destroy their families. Written with razor-sharp intelligence and heart, Women Are the Fiercest Creatures is a searing look at the complexities of family and the obstacles women navigate in every aspect of their existence.

WE CAME HERE TO FORGET by ANDREA DUNLOP

July 13, 2019

SYNOPSIS:

From the author of She Regrets Nothing comes a vivid novel about a young Olympic skier who loses everything and escapes to Buenos Aires, where she reinvents herself, meets a colorful group of ex-pats, and is swept off her feet by a mysterious young man with dark secrets of his own.

Katie Cleary has always known exactly what she wants: to be the best skier in the world. As a teenager, she leaves her home to live and train full time with her two best friends, all-American brothers Luke and Blair, whose wealthy father has hired the best coaches money can buy. Together, they are the USA’s best shot at bringing home Olympic gold—as well as a love triangle waiting to happen.

But as the upward trajectory of Katie’s elite skiing career nears its zenith, a terrifying truth about her sister becomes impossible to ignore—one that will lay ruin not only to Katie’s career but to her family and her relationship with Luke and Blair.

With her life shattered and nothing left to lose, Katie flees the snowy mountainsides of home for Buenos Aires. There, she reinvents herself as Liz Sullivan, and meets a colorful group of ex-pats and the alluring, charismatic Gianluca Fortunado, a tango teacher with secrets of his own. This beautiful city, with its dark history and wild promise, seems like the perfect refuge, but can she really outrun her demons?

Told in alternating chapters, Katie grows up, falls in love, and races down the highest peaks on the planet—while Liz is reborn, falls into lust, and sinks into the underground tango scene at the bottom of the world. From the moneyed ski chalets of the American West to the dimly lit milongas of Argentina, We Came Here to Forget explores what it means to dream, to desire, to achieve—and what’s left behind after it all disappears.

MY REVIEW:

“How fierce is denial when acceptance means losing so much?”

Beautiful! Andrea Dunlop is one of my favorite contemporary authors.

This book tells the story of Katie Cleary, an Olympic athlete who seems to have it all. A loving family, a longtime boyfriend and many awards. But as the story slowly unfolds, we learn that her beloved sister Penny is actually hiding terrible secrets that will ultimately have tragic consequences for their entire family. After the truth is revealed, Katie decides to escape to Argentina to try and find some peace and a sense of normalcy.

Like all of Andrea Dunlop’s books, the early parts of the story are told in a very direct manner but you just know that some of the characters will turn out to be either doomed or even worse, evil.

“The thing about tragedy is that it isn’t about just getting through it, it’s about getting on with your life when the dust has settled but the landscape is bombed out, smoke in the air, charred remains at your feet.”

Katie finds work as a tour guide and tries to hide her past from her new circle of friends. She even takes tango lessons and gets involved with a sexy Argentinian. But she can’t hide forever and eventually the truth comes out. There is a huge revelation about Katie’s family but it does not come until relatively late in the book.

The story alternates between present day and flashbacks with Katie’s family. The author does a fantastic job with the slow reveal of what actually happened in her past, and just as with ‘Losing the Light’, creates an wonderful cast of ex-pats and colorful characters in Katie’s new Buenos Aires home. This is another creative, surprising and emotional story of family, friendship, loss and acceptance. I couldn’t put it down.

(ARC was provided by the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Andrea Dunlop is the author of SHE REGRETS NOTHING, LOSING THE LIGHT, and the forthcoming WE CAME HERE TO FORGET. She lives in Seattle, WA with her husband and daughter

SHE REGRETS NOTHING by ANDREA DUNLOP

February 7, 2018

ABOUT SHE REGRETS NOTHING:

In the tradition of The Emperor’s Children and The House of Mirth, the forgotten granddaughter of one of New York’s wealthiest men is reunited with her family just as she comes of age—and once she’s had a glimpse of their glittering world, she refuses to let it go without a fight.

When Laila Lawrence becomes an orphan at twenty-three, the sudden loss unexpectedly introduces her to three glamorous cousins from New York who show up unannounced at her mother’s funeral. The three siblings are scions of the wealthy family from which Laila’s father had been estranged long before his own untimely demise ten years before.

Two years later, Laila has left behind her quiet life in Grosse Point, Michigan to move to New York City, landing her smack in the middle of her cousins’ decadent world. As the truth about why Laila’s parents became estranged from the family patriarch becomes clear, Laila grows ever more resolved to claim what’s rightfully hers. Caught between longing for the love of her family and her relentless pursuit of the lifestyle she feels she was unfairly denied, Laila finds herself reawakening a long dead family scandal—not to mention setting off several new ones—as she becomes further enmeshed in the lives and love affairs of her cousins. But will Laila ever, truly, belong in their world? Sly and sexy, SHE REGRETS NOTHING is a sharply observed and utterly seductive tale about family, fortune, and fate—and the dark side of wealth.

MY REVIEW:

A peak into the glittering world of New York society and the conflict between a poor cousin and her fabulously wealthy family.

Described as a Gossip-Girl type story, this book certainly delivers on describing the incredibly wealthy New York socialites and their often-empty lifestyle. There’s romance, intrigue, family drama and blackmail – all wrapped up in a shiny bow.

I found the main character, Laila, slightly unlikable. Yet I kept reading to find out what she would do next. Laila moves from the Midwest to New York after the death of her mother and after she learns that she actually has cousins who are enormously wealthy. They take her in but Laila never quite gets over the huge chip on her shoulder.

Laila is ready to claim the life she is meant to lead. But it seems as though she will never really fit in despite her best efforts. Her arrival also re-opens old family feuds. What will become of Laila in the big city? Will she ever find her place in the family?

I am a huge fan of Ms. Dunlop and loved how she described the family drama and the day-to-day lives of New York City’s young elite. There is a very surprising conclusion that never saw coming. While Laila was not my favorite, I enjoyed the overall story and the New York City setting. I am still thinking about the ending of ‘She Regrets Nothing’ and cant wait to see what the author comes up with next.

“I love New York, but sometimes I think that if I find my way in, I’ll never find my way out.”

About the Author:

Andrea Dunlop is the author of Losing the Light and Broken Bay, a novella. She lives with her husband in Seattle, Washington, where she works as a social media consultant.
Website: http://www.andreadunlop.net
Twitter: @Andrea_Dunlop
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andreadunlop/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/Andrea_Dunlop

Review – LOSING THE LIGHT by ANDREA DUNLOP

March 6, 2017

Synopsis:

A smart, obsessive debut novel about a young woman studying abroad who becomes caught up in a seductive French world–and a complex web of love and lust.

When thirty-year-old Brooke Thompson unexpectedly runs into a man from her past, she’s plunged headlong into memories she’s long tried to forget about the year she spent in France following a disastrous affair with a professor.

As a newly arrived exchange student in the picturesque city of Nantes, young Brooke develops a deep and complicated friendship with Sophie, a fellow American and stunning blonde, whose golden girl façade hides a precarious emotional fragility. Sophie and Brooke soon become inseparable and find themselves intoxicated by their new surroundings–and each other.

But their lives are forever changed when they meet a sly, stylish French student, Veronique, and her impossibly sexy older cousin, Alex. The cousins draw Sophie and Brooke into an irresistible world of art, money, decadence, and ultimately, a disastrous love triangle that consumes them both. And of the two of them, only one will make it home.

My Review:

This debut by Andrea Dunlop is a fascinating tale of friendship, first love and nostalgia. The three main protagonists – Brooke, Sophie and Alex – are all compelling and complex characters. We first meet the narrator Brooke when she runs into someone from her past. Alex is now a well-known photographer and he played a pivotal role in Brooke’s life when she was in college studying abroad in France.

Not quite fluent in French, Brooke finds herself struggling with the language when she first arrives. I loved how the author explored the tole that language plays in our grasp and understanding of the world around us.

“Je t’aime, darling, ‘I like you, I love you.’ What’s the difference? Imagine not needing different words for love and like, half the girls I knew practically lived and died by the nuance.”

The beautiful and gifted Sophie, another American student, befriends Brooke and they become very close. Brooke cannot understand what Sophie sees in her but Sophie is not quite the perfect, gifted student athlete that everyone assumes her to be. Both girls see their time in France as a way to break free of the confines of their lives back home in America.

They become fast friends with Veronique and soon, her sexy cousin Alex, a photographer. Their family, while very glamorous, is also very dysfunctional. The dynamics are fascinating and Brooke is swept off her feet by the bohemian and free-thinking Alex. He surrounds himself with gorgeous models and artists but insists that he can see beyond the superficial. Brooke feels beautiful when she is with him and with Sophie.

“…people see what they want to see. You will see what you want to see.”

Alex quite literally sweeps Brooke off her feet. His family owns homes all over France and the girls embark on a series of adventures with him and his family in Paris, Cap Ferrat and Nantes. If you have ever visited France, or just want to visit, this book will serve as a stunning travelogue to the magnificent country! I could almost hear the noises of Paris and feel the warmth of the Mediterranean sun. Brooke is entranced with Alex and quickly falls under his spell.

“It occurred to me that men like Alex knew how to make entrances, knew how to make you wait just long enough that you found yourself in touch with the exact despair you’d feel if they were to abandon you, then they’d show up to save the day a moment later and fill you with the joy of their presence, the relief of having been rescued from their absence.”

This story rockets to a stunning conclusion that was both inevitable and surprising all at once. It is a very powerful tale of friendship, love and second chances. The use of French throughout the book was perfect. I’m obsessed with this book! Perfectly written. And the cover is gorgeous! Did it make me painfully nostalgic for my twenties? Yes. I feel lost without these characters! A slow-build story that I won’t soon forget.

“But” – Sophie bit the edge of her iip as if she could hardly contain her smile – “it’s going to be different for us. We’re going to chose. We’ll make our own destiny.”

(With thanks to the author for a review copy.)

About the Author:

Andrea Dunlop lives in her hometown of Seattle, Washington, where she works as the social media and marketing director of Girl Friday Productions. Losing the Light is her first novel.

Website: http://www.andreadunlop.net
Twitter: @Andrea_Dunlop
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andreadunlop/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/Andrea_Dunlop

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WOMEN ARE THE FIERCEST CREATURES by ANDREA DUNLOP

About the Book: