RELEASING GILLIAN'S WOLVES by Tara Woolpy

Bats in the Boathouse Press
Release Date: August 1, 2011
ISBN-10: 098320330X
ISBN-13: 978-0983203308
This appears to have been released early by Amazon.

I love featuring Wisconsin Authors and Books Set in Wisconsin and this story has both.  Tara will be here on August 30, with a guest post and a giveaway, so mark your calendars today.

Gillian has been been married to Jack Sach for thirty years. Throughout most of those years Jack has been a politician, currently he is a United States Congressman representing the great state of Wisconsin.  Gillian has always been the faithful, dutiful wife.  Hosting parties and fundraisers, takes care of her mother-in-law, was the parent  at home for their two children until they were grown.  Jack, of course travels a lot due to his job, but he has never been faithful. More affairs than Gillian can count, but she always turned a blind eye, to spare her family the public spotlight and humiliation that would occur if the affairs would be made public.

Gillian's grandfather was a very astute business man and he and his partner left their children very well off, they have a trust fund worth millions and 2 beautiful homes and property on a Northern Wisconsin lake.  Edward and Gillian grew up together almost like brother and sister and they are each other's rock.  Edward is openly gay, a successful photographer and in a new relationship, but has a past full of addiction and bad relationships.  Gillian has ways to escape from her everyday pain. She loves to cook and garden and is a painter, she can let her despair, sadness and aggression bleed out on her canvas, but leans heavily on Edward. 

Edwards life is hitting a great path and Gillian's is about to spiral out of control.  She will need him now more than ever.  She is starting to worry that she will never be happy and continues to worry about the effects her actions will not only have on her, but her children, her friends and even her mother-in-law. 

Gillian has a heart so big and a man in her life to stupid to appreciate it.  He is a man that thinks he can do no wrong and rules, vows and laws don't apply to him.

Tara Woolpy has given us characters to fall in love with and one big character to hate.  I loved it!!!!! When I started reading this book I thought it was going to be like one of my favorite television shows, The Good Wife, but Gillian blew that assumption away within the first chapters.  Gillian was beaten down on the inside and hemmed in on the outside trying to do the right things for everyone but herself.  When could she start living for herself not others? Ever?

This is the second book in a week that I could not put down.  Both debut novels.  Unbelievable!! 

This story is excellently written, flows at a perfect pace, has fabulous settings and wonderful characters.  A great piece of Woman's Fiction. While the book is nowhere near autobiographical the author knows her subject matter well.  Her mother represented Northern Idaho in the state senate seven times.  She works in the same academic field as Edward's new love and she currently lives in Northern Wisconsin the main setting of her story and I assume from the descriptions of other places in the book she has traveled a little bit in her lifetime.

Tara, I know you are teaching to pay the bills but you have a great gift given to very few, you are a wonderful storyteller.  I can't wait to read more of your work.

This is a book I highly recommend.  It should not be missed and you will want to read more from Tara Woolpy, I guarantee it.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”