Twenty Eight and a Half Wishes - and 5 reasons to read it

Rose Gardner is a sheltered, inexperienced, cowed, shy young woman, living in the south and whiling her life away with a job at the DMV and little hope for a different future.  She's never had a boyfriend, never even had a kiss.  Rose doesn't really understand why her mother seems to hate her while loving her sister, Violet, but it's her reality and she lives it.

Now, she's found her mother murdered, a sexy guy moves in next door, and weird things are happening all over the place.

Twenty Eight and a Half Wishes by Denise Grover Swank is the first in a long series (she has three releases planned for Rose this year, starting in January) about the many adventures of Rose and her family and friends.  And various assorted cops, lawyers, pot heads, criminals, murderers, friends, and busybodies, all of whom reside in the small, slightly backward, previously quiet little burg of Henryetta, Georgia.  And every single one of these books is worth the time you'll take to read and savor Swank's gift for putting compelling words to paper and taking you into Rose's world.

Swank makes real people.  Rose is not some pure, perfect, put-upon princess, her mother isn't just a vile bitch, and life isn't just a one dimensional puddle of goo.  There are good things and bad things, just like in real life.  The conversations are real, the idioms ring true, and the general tone of the book is that these are people you know!  It's like taking a peek into the house next door, and it's fun and exciting and, as an added bonus, there's romance.  A great romance, really.  At least, the beginnings of one.  If you want to find out how things work out for Rose and her suitor, you'll have to keep reading the books.

Yes, there are flaws, but they're so small and so inconsequential that it would be a waste of my time and yours to even mention them.  I doubt they'll even cross your mind.

I am recommending this entire series for a variety of reasons:

1. Rose is a fun character and watching her grow and change and figure things out is really enjoyable.
2. Rose's adventures are a little silly and a lot interesting.
3. Swank writes like your friend, telling you a story.
4. You can get lost in this book, and in the subsequent books.  
5. Joe is hot.  Really hot.
6. Twenty Eight and a Half Wishes is FREE for Amazon Kindle.  

You can't pass this up, right?  Denise Grover Swank has talent, chops, whatever you want to call it.  She also has a website, www.denisegroverswank.com.    I promise you that lovers of mystery, suspense, and romance, as well as fans of good writing, excellent characterization, and terrific storytelling, are all going to enjoy this book and the series.  Trust me on this.

When you're done, and you're hooked, go check out the rest of Denise Grover Swank's books on Amazon.com.

Tell your friends!