Review & Giveaway ~ Where to Belong, by WJ Smith

Madison is an ex-con artist who has now lived by the rules for eight years following the tragic death of her fiancé. She has made a new life for herself in Chicago despite the challenges of honest work. Her world flips upside-down once again when she runs into her best friend that she left behind in a desperate attempt to escape the dangerous lifestyle they were leading, only to find out he is in deeper than she could have ever imagined. They are forced to team up with the hope to shield one another while still dealing with the abrupt separation that left them both secretly heartbroken. When not only her way of life, but also the life of her dearest friend is threatened by an old associate, will it be enough for her to continue as a law abiding citizen, or will she be forced back into the line of work that claimed the love of her life?(From GoodReads)

If you know me at all through Twitter, this blog, or GoodReads, you've probably noticed that I almost strictly read Young Adult, Paranormal, and Urban Fantasy books. But I only starting reading these genres less than five years ago, with the exception of the Harry Potter series. So when author WJ Smith asked me to review her book, Where to Belong, I readily accepted. I was curious to see if a general fiction book with a slight chick-lit slant could hold my interest.

Happily, Where to Belong did capture my attention and held it throughout the entire book. I enjoyed the characters. Madison was kind and thoughtful, if not terribly exciting considering she's a reformed con artist. Her lifelong friend and former partner in crime, Skyler, was also an attentive and generous person. Separately, their characters were fine, but when they shared scenes they both shined. The flashbacks to their childhoods and early adulthood helped show why they were so caring to one another, even with years of separation.

As much as I liked Madison and Skyler, I am a huge fan of stand-out secondary characters. In this case, it's Chase. Chase is Skyler's roommate and is funny and sweet and the best source of comic relief. He usually busted into the room during the worst moments, and had great reactions. Books always, always benefit from a character like Chase.

I'm not sure that general fiction is ever going to be my go-to source of reading again, but I have to say that it's nice to take a break from the vampires and demons and ghosts and poor teens trying to make it in a post-apocalyptic world. Where to Belong was a nice, worthwhile escape.

Favorite Quote:

"I've walked around all these years only pretending to have a life. It hasn't been anything I thought it  
 would be. It's empty. Hollow."

Paperback, 294 pages

Published August 31st 2011 by CreateSpace

Find Where to Belong on GoodReads

Purchase Where to Belong at:

Book Depository  |  Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble

And now for the GIVEAWAY!

*There are two paperback copies of Where to Belong up for grabs.

*You must be a resident of US/CAN to enter the giveaway, UNLESS you have a US/CAN address 

  that the book can be shipped to.

*You must be 13+ years of age to enter.

*Following this blog is NOT required.

*The giveaway will end November 23, 2011.

This giveaway has ended. The winners are:

Desiree and Linda H!!

Congratulations, ladies!

(I have emailed both winners. If they do not respond w/in 48 hours, new winners will be chosen.)