Writerly Wednesday ~ MONARCH Review and ARC giveaway!!!

Hello, my peeps!!  I have the great honor of reviewing Michelle Davidson Argyle's novel, MONARCH, on my blog today.

Check out this cool cover:

(source)

Spys and butterflys?  Awesome.  :)

Here's the back cover descrip of the book:

Nick's life as a CIA spy should be fulfilling, but it has only given him unhappiness, a wife who committed suicide, and two daughters who resent everything he has become. Now, stuck in the Amazon on the last mission of his career, he must track down Matheus Ferreira, a drug lord and terrorist the United States has tried to bring down for years. If he succeeds, he'll have the chance to start his life over again. Just when he's on the brink of catching Ferreira, he's framed for a murder that turns his world upside down. His only chance of survival lies in West Virginia, where Lilian Love, a woman from his past, owns the secluded Monarch Inn. He's safe, but not for long.

 

AND a little bit about Michelle:

 

Michelle Davidson Argyle has been writing since a very young age. She graduated from Utah Valley University with a BA in English and creative writing in the winter of 2002. To date, she has completed five novels. Bonded will be released in fall 2012 by Rhemalda Publishing. She currently resides in the Rocky Mountains. Michelle is an avid blogger and currently runs her own blog, The Innocent Flower, as well as The Literary Lab, which she coauthors with the amazing Scott G. F. Bailey and Davin Malasarn. She is also an editor and publisher of the Literary Lab Presents series of anthologies, an annual nonprofit publication that donates all proceeds to charity.  (woot woot - a fellow Utahn!!!)

 

*I'll admit - adult thrillers aren't typically my genre of choice.  And as I read the first page, the image of a dead guy's blood pooling like butterfly wings ~ simply because I'm just not a blood&guts gal ~ had me a little worried.  But, the worry was for nothing.

 

As I delved deeper into Nick's, Lilian's, and Devan's stories ~ Michelle's deft descriptions and lovely words had me turning page after page after page.  And I soooo want to stay at The Monarch Inn!  And have some of Lilian's cake!!!

 

MONARCH mixes so many interesting elements ~ Nick's life as a spy is something many of us can't even begin to imagine - the sacrifices, the loss, the danger.  Lilian's divorce and the aftermath and her hopes for the future were touching and identifiable.  And Devan's loyalties to his mom (Lilian) and his sense of wonder about his future made him a lovable character.

 

With a thriller ~ it's hard to review too much of the plot.  I don't want to give anything away.  I'll say that, as a thriller, MONARCH does its job of keeping the reader guessing and pushing us to want to know what happens next!  I really enjoyed it.

 

And you can, too!!!  I'm giving my ARC away to one lucky commenter.  The book officially releases next week, Sept. 15th.  But, I'd like my winner to get it before then - so, entries will be accepted until this Friday, Midnight MDT.  I'll contact the winner bright and early on Saturday and (hopefully) get this mailed out to you ASAP!  (sorry - US residents only.)  Otherwise, I encourage you all to show a fellow UT-gal some love and pick up a copy of Michelle's book when it releases on the 15th.

 

Happy reading!!