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Sunday, April 25, 2010

The Swimming Pool Book Review and Giveaway! -- CLOSED

Hey guys! So my next review and giveaway is for the book The Swimming Pool by Holly LeCraw. On Amazon the book's description from Publishers Weekly is: "Strong writing keeps the reader sucked in to LeCraw's painful family drama debut. The lovely Marcella is reeling from tragedy; her ex-husband, Anthony, has sent Toni, their only daughter, away to boarding school and on to college. The man with whom Marcella had an affair, Cecil McClatchey, dies in a car accident soon after his wife, Betsy, is murdered. Amid the wreckage is Cecil's daughter, Callie, fighting for her sanity with two young children, and his son, Jed, who, desperate to fill the void left by the death of his parents, seeks answers from Marcella only to begin a tortured love affair with her as she drowns in guilt, struggling to find some meaning to hold on to. As Marcella comes closer to the truth about Betsy's murder and Cecil's death, and mindful that she is now the lover of Cecil's son, she struggles and fails to gather strength enough to make any decision, right or wrong. It is a story of deep and searing love, between siblings and lovers, but most powerfully, between parents and their children."



To be honest I kind of had mixed emotions about this book. I'm not into romances that much and this was more romance then trying to find out the truth about Betsy's murder and Cecil's death. This is kind of a spoiler but only towards the end do they really confront what happens to Betsy. Most of the book is about Marcella having a secret tryst with Jed who is her former lover's (Cecil's) son. I didn't really connect to the story. I just wasn't able to connect with the main characters. I felt bad for a lot of the minor characters because of what the main characters kind of did to them. It was kind of depressing.

But if you're into juicy secret romances then hey you'll probably like this. I feel like it was kind of Nicholas Spark's-y I haven't read his books but I've seen some of his movies (the only one I liked was A Walk to Remember) and yeah it was kind of a sad romance like those films and books. So if you like Nicholas Sparks then you will most likely enjoy this.

Honestly I thought the story was going to be more focused on the deaths of Cecil and Betsy and though we do see how these deaths affected the characters, it's mostly about the romance between Marcella and Jed.

Though the writing style was done very well. This was Holly LeCraw's debut novel and I applaud her because her descriptions of how the characters felt and everything was great. It wasn't overdone or not enough, it was just right. It's not that I don't think LeCraw is a good writer, I think she is, it was just the storyline that put me off. I'd like to read something of hers in the future that isn't so much filled with romance and a kind of depressing romance at that.

All in all, I do think that this was a very good debut novel for LeCraw because it isn't just your average romance it's about loss and how love can help your feeling of loss. It just wasn't my favorite book, but again I don't read many romances my favorite books are Harry Potter, Live from New York, and Survivor by Chuch Palahniuk. So don't judge this book by my review, if you like intriguing romances I'm sure you will love this.

Buy It! The Swimming Pool is located on Amazon as well as Border's and Barnes and Nobel's websites. You can also check out your local book store or Barnes and Nobel or Borders in person and not online.

Win It! TWO winners will receive a copy of The Swimming Pool by Holly LeCraw.

1. Comment telling me your favorite book. Please answer this question or else your comment will not count! You must do this first or future entries will not be counted. (1 entry)

BONUS ENTRIES

2. Subscribe by Email and Confirm that Subscription (1 entry)

3. Follow StarIMPULSE on Blogger. (2 entries!)

4. Follow me on Twitter. (1 entry)

5. Tweet about this giveaway and send me a direct link to that tweet, you can do this once a day. (1 entry per day)

6. Subscribe to my YouTube channel. (1 entry per day)

7. Add my StarIMPULSE button to your sidebar and send me think link to your blog so I can see it. (1 entry)

8. Add StarIMPULSE to your blogroll (using my URL), with a link back to me! (1 entry)

ONE winner will be chosen on May 9th, 2010 at 9:30pm (EST) and then will be emailed.

Alternate winners will be chosen if winner does not respond after 48 hours. This contest is only open to all US Residents. Thank you and good luck!


Disclaimer-
I was provided a product in exchange for my review.
You can read more about my blog policies in my disclaimer.

62 comments:

  1. Today my favorite book is The Benefactor by Margaret Reyes Dempsey.

    bgcchs(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  2. Email subscriber.

    bgcchs(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  3. Follower by GFC #1

    bgcchs(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  4. Follower by GFC #2.

    bgcchs(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  5. I like the Secret Life of Bees.

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  6. My favorite book is A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry. Thanks for the giveaway!

    s.mickelson at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  7. My favorite book, at this moment, is The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom. I just finished it and it is an amazing book!!

    choateorama(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  8. I have no all time favorite. However, the one I enjoyed most in recent times is Persuader by Lee Child.

    Thanks for the giveaway >^..^<

    bloggyig at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  9. One of my all time favorite book is Ender's Game

    ykatrina at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  10. My favorite book would have to be Mr. Tickle by Roger Hargreaves... yeah, it's a kids book, but I love it!!

    Desiree
    carolinagirlmommy@gmail.com

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  11. blog follower 1

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  12. blog follower 2

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  13. email subscriber

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  14. http://twitter.com/WeeShare/status/13040784337

    Desiree
    carolinagirlmommy@gmail.com

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  15. I really enjoyed Deception Point by Dan Brown

    Tarah
    tarah716[at]ymail.com

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  16. My all-time favorite book is "Les Miserables" :)

    jewell330 at aim dot com

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  17. Still Jane Eyre.

    ntaylor228 at yahoo dot com

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  18. My fave books right now are the Twilight series.I also liked The Time Traveler's Wife.

    mcapel4444 at aol.com

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  19. Following on google friends
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  20. I am now a GFC follower!

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  21. I am now a GFC follower!

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    #2

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  22. My favorite book is Cabinet of Curiosities.
    rsgrandinetti@yahoo(DOT)com

    ReplyDelete
  23. Still Jane Eyre

    ntaylor228 at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  24. My favorite book is The Stand by Stephen King. I've read it at least a dozen times :)

    ReplyDelete
  25. I'm a big fan of post-apocalyptic fiction, so two of my favorites are Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank, and The Handmaid's Tale, by Margarete Atwood.

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  26. My favorite book is Flowers in the Attic.

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  27. My all time favorite book is Alice's Adventures In Wonderland! No matter how old I get, I still love reading it!

    vschilke at gmail dot com

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  28. Follower via GFC #1

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  29. Follower via GFC #2

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  30. Following on Twitter

    username = anewmrs

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  31. My favorite book is The Time Traveler's Wife.

    kerrie@mayansfamily.com

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  32. 1. I follow you on blogger as degood

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  33. 2. I follow you on blogger as degood

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  34. I follow you on twitter as kmayans

    kerrie@mayansfamily.com

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  35. I have always liked where the sidewalk ends

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  36. Life on the Outside: The Prison Odyssey of Elaine Bartlett

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  37. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  38. My fav book is called the glass house it is a true story very good book

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  39. My favorite book is Anne of Green Gables.

    Nancy
    allibrary (at) aol (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  40. I am an e-mail subscriber.

    Nancy
    allibrary (at) aol (dot) com

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  41. #1
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    Nancy
    allibrary (at) aol (dot) com

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  42. #2

    I follow via Google Friend: allibrary.

    Nancy
    allibrary (at) aol (dot) com

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  43. My favorite book is The Notebook by Nicholas Spark

    CharlieGurl57(at)aol(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  44. I subscribe via email

    CharlieGurl57(at)aol(dot)com

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  45. I am following you on blogger (Charlene)
    CharlieGurl57(at)aol(dot)com
    #1

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  46. I am following you on blogger (Charlene)
    CharlieGurl57(at)aol(dot)com
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  47. I am following you on Twitter (Swtlilchick)

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  48. Tweet:Swtlilchick
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  49. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  50. Subscriber to your YouTube channel
    username:Justkidding

    CharlieGurl57(at)aol(dot)com

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  51. My favorite is Magic Kingdom for Sale — SOLD!

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  52. I really don't have a favorite book so to speak..I love all books and anything I can get my hands on.

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  53. Gone Wuth The Wind is my favorite book. garrettsambo@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  54. Christina - xristya@rock.com - My favorite book is The Edge Of The Alphabet (a poetic novel based on personal history) by Janet Frame. I also LOVE the Chicken Soup For The Soul series - I didn't think that I would, but they're always fascinating and filled with so many different viewpoints on interesting topics!

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