Category Archives: MJ Pullen

July 11, 2016 · 11:56 pm

Review: Baggage Check by M.J. Pullen

Title: Baggage Check by M.J. Pullen
The Marriage Pact Series Book Three
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction
Length: 301 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Baggage Check is the third in a charming series about a group of thirty-somethings in Atlanta making surprising discoveries about friendship, love, and happily-ever-after.

At 35, Rebecca Williamson is surrounded by happy endings.

Her friends Suzanne and Marci are living out their own personal fairy tales in Atlanta. But despite Rebecca’s best efforts four years ago, her adorable college friend Jake Stillwell has officially slipped through her fingers and broken her heart. When Rebecca gets a frantic phone call from her mother back in Alabama, Rebecca is pulled back to the tiny town she worked so hard to leave behind and forced to face the hard truths about her family and past. A past that includes Deputy Alex Chen, who thinks of Rebecca as more than just an old friend’s kid sister. Can Rebecca navigate the chaos and get her life back to normal? Will Alex prove himself to be the friend she’s always needed? Or will she discover that the door to Jake is not as tightly closed as she thought?

M.J. Pullen returns in this final installment to the same captivating group of lovelorn friends, this time following the girl group’s frenemy, Rebecca, as she’s forced to confront her past. Raising the stakes, Pullen delivers an absorbing, romantic novel that poses the question, what if everything you were looking for was right where you started?

Review:

Baggage Check, the final installment in M.J. Pullen’s The Marriage Pact series, is a redemptive, reflective journey for Rebecca Williamson.  Readers of the series will be absolutely delighted with this insightful story of healing for this (previously) less than appealing character.

Now in her mid-thirties, Rebecca has a career she loves and friends she enjoys spending time with.  Reserved and emotionally distant, she lives a quiet, organized life that sometimes feels little lonely.  When she must return to her small home town to deal with some serious family issues, Rebecca begins to re-evaluate some of the choices she has made over the years.  She immediately reconnects with old high acquaintance Alex Chen, and while she appreciates his friendship, Rebecca does not feel like she is emotionally ready to handle a romance with the handsome deputy.

Rebecca is so closed-off and unwilling to talk about herself or her past that none of her friends really know her very well.  Although they are busy with their own lives, they offer to help her as she tries to handle the situation with her parents, but she is quick to refuse their offer.  Now forced to deal with everything she has tried so hard to forget, Rebecca continues to hold everyone at arms’ length as she tries to understand how she ended up at this point in her life.  She is definitely conflicted about Alex as they get to know one another but every time they get close, she pushes him away.  Alex is an absolute sweetheart but how many times will he let Rebecca hurt him before he walks away for good?

While Rebecca is in the midst of dealing with the crisis with her family, her friend Marci’s marriage has hit a bit of a rough patch.  Their friendship has been tense for several years due to Rebecca’s unrequited love for Marci’s husband Jake. So it comes as a huge surprise to Rebecca when Marci reaches out to her for help in dealing with her suspicions about Jake.  Although Rebecca is not exactly looking forward to meeting with Marci, their somewhat awkward conversation turns out to be opportunity to clear the air between them. But will this honest discussion have any effect on their strained friendship?

Baggage Check is an absolutely heartwarming addition to The Marriage Pact series.  Rebecca’s character is beautifully redeemed as she finally lays the ghosts of her past to rest while opening herself to the possibility of love. M.J. Pullen saved the best story for last and fans of this series will be delighted by Rebecca’s transformation in this poignant, yet uplifting, novel of healing.

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Filed under Baggage Check, Contemporary, MJ Pullen, Rated B+, Review, The Marriage Pact Series, Thomas Dunne Books

March 2, 2016 · 11:58 pm

Review: Regrets Only by M.J. Pullen

Title: Regrets Only by M.J. Pullen
The Marriage Pact Series Book Two
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction
Length: 333 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

At thirty-three, Suzanne Hamilton has no regrets. A successful event planner with a swanky condo in a hot Atlanta neighborhood, she’s got a close group of friends and a list of men a mile long who would happily bend over backwards to win her heart. Plus, she’s just landed the event that will take her career to the next level.

Then a freak accident changes everything. Humiliated, with her career in tatters, Suzanne’s lost her business not to mention her self-respect. She’s managed, however, to retain the surprising support of her newest celebrity client: the sexy country music star, Dylan Burke. Against her better judgment, but without any better offers, Suzanne agrees to plan a wedding for one of the Burke sisters. But when she comes to realize her freak accident was anything but, her catalog of past relationships turns into a list of suspects and Suzanne must question everything—her career, her friendships, and most acutely, her own dating rules.

As it turns out she might have quite a bit to regret after all.

Taking place a few years after the events of The Marriage Pact, M. J. Pullen returns to the same captivating group of lovelorn friends, this time following Suzanne as she discovers that her trusty rules no longer apply. Raising the stakes, Pullen delivers an absorbing, romantic novel that shows how someone with a “perfect life” can lose it all—and then find everything.

Review:

Regrets Only, the second installment in M.J. Pullen’s fantastic series, The Marriage Pact, is a captivating journey of self discovery for lead character, Suzanne Hamilton.

The owner of a successful event planning business, Suzanne is at the top of her career when a very public incident costs her every one of her clients except country musician Dylan Burke. Reluctantly agreeing to plan his younger sister’s wedding, Suzanne begins the painful process of regaining her career while at the same time trying to gain a better understanding of herself. Forced to take an in-depth look at her somewhat checkered dating history, Suzanne is quite introspective as she examines her motives and reasons for ending relationships so quickly. At the time, her rock solid friendship with Marci Stillwell hits a rocky patch and although hurt by Marci’s painful accusations, Suzanne grudgingly admits her friend is right about her.

While questioning pretty much everything about herself and her life up to this point, Suzanne is taken off guard by her attraction to Dylan. Focusing on their many differences, she continually backs away from anything except friendship with him. Eventually regretting her choice, she cannot see how a relationship between them would ever work since she has several reservations about his career. Her experiences with Dylan at his country home reinforce these doubts which leaves Suzanne even more doubtful of a future with him.

Suzanne and Dylan are well rounded and multi-faceted protagonists and their growth throughout the story is phenomenal. They both have flaws that are realistic and easy to relate to. Dylan is little immature at times and he sometimes makes questionable decisions, but he is a truly kindhearted, thoughtful man with a good head on his shoulders. Suzanne is initially somewhat self-absorbed but she is also quite caring and loyal. They bring out the best in each other and it is not hard to root for them a couple as they try to work through their respective issues.

Regrets Only is a charming addition to The Marriage Pact series. The storyline is fast-paced and engaging with plenty of unexpected twists and turns. The characters are quite likable with true to life strengths and weaknesses. M.J. Pullen brings the novel to a heartwarming conclusion that is realistic yet gratifying. An overall insightful and compelling story that old and new fans of the series are sure to love.

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Filed under Contemporary, MJ Pullen, No Regrets, Rated B+, Review, The Marriage Pact Series, Thomas Dunne Books, Women's Fiction

November 16, 2015 · 11:57 pm

Review: The Marriage Pact by M.J. Pullen

marriage pactTitle: The Marriage Pact by M.J. Pullen
The Marriage Pact Series Book One
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction
Length: 305 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher

Summary:

This debut by M.J. Pullen launches a charming series about a group of thirty-somethings in Atlanta making surprising discoveries about friendship, love, and happily-ever-after.

Marci Thompson always knew what life would be like by her 30th birthday. A large but cozy suburban home shared with a charming husband and two brilliant children. A celebrated career as a writer, complete with mahogany shelves and a summer book tour. A life full of adventure with her friends and family by her side.

Instead, Marci lives alone in 480 square feet of converted motel space next to a punk rock band, hundreds of miles from her friends and family. She works in a temporary accounting assignment that has somehow stretched from two weeks into nine months. And the only bright spot in her life, not to mention the only sex she’s had in two years, is an illicit affair with her married boss, Doug.

Thirty is not at all what it is cracked up to be.

Then the reappearance of an old friend with whom she had made a drunken marriage pact ten years earlier opens a long-forgotten door, and the lines between right and wrong, heartache and happiness are all about to get very blurry, as Marci faces the most difficult choices of her life.

The Marriage Pact is a delightful debut that will have readers laughing, crying, and falling completely in love.

Review:

Fast-paced with a wonderful cast of characters, The Marriage Pact by M.J. Pullen is an engaging novel about friendship and love.

Marci Thompson has made a career of temp work, but her latest job has lasted much longer than her previous gigs. The other big difference on this job is her six month relationship with her married boss, Doug Stanton. Their romance is exciting and passionate but being “the other woman” is beginning to wear thin. However, Marci continues to remain hopeful Doug will finally leave his wife and fully commit to her. When her thirtieth birthday rolls around, her college friend Jake Stillwell reminds her of the pact they signed ten years earlier that if neither was married by their thirtieth birthday, they would marry each other. Marci has always loved Jake, but she is also heavily invested in her illicit romance with Doug which makes it very difficult for her to know which man she should choose.

Despite being a bit self-absorbed, Marci is a likable and mostly sympathetic character. She is ashamed of her affair and despite knowing she should end their relationship, she lacks the willpower to make a clean break from him. She has a long history of avoiding conflict and her knee-jerk reaction when things go wrong is to run away. A snap decision brings positive changes for her life, but it is not until she is on the verge of losing what she holds most dear that Marci reflects on what she truly wants.

The supporting cast of characters is well-developed and for the most part, likable. Suzanne is Marci’s best friend and she provides her with unconditional support. Jake is very sweet and just like Suzanne, he is willing to drop everything to help Marci when she needs assistance. Rebecca is the least appealing of the friends since she is more concerned with pursuing her own agenda than supporting Marci when everything begins to fall apart.

The Marriage Pact by M.J. Pullen is a charming novel with a realistic storyline. The characters are multi-faceted with true to life flaws and imperfections. An entertaining read that will leave readers eagerly anticipating the next installment in The Marriage Pact series.

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Filed under Blog Tour, Contemporary, MJ Pullen, Review, The Marriage Pact, The Marriage Pact Series, Thomas Dunne Books, Women's Fiction